Revolvers
One of the most famous "break top" revolvers is the Schofield Model 3, designed in the held up 19th generation and accustomed by western outlaw Jesse James. Another notable design is the Enfield and Webley procession of revolvers absorbed by the British Armed Forces from the 1880s through the 1960s.
The Webley-Fosbery Labor-intensive Revolver was the first for sale example, avant-garde in 1901. It was recoil-operated, and the cylinder and barrel recoiled backwards to cock the hammer and revolve the cylinder. It was cool in that cam grooves were milled on the outside of the cylinder to provide a means of advancing to the hard by chamber--half a bow as the cylinder moved back, and half a turn as it moved forward. .38 caliber versions held 8 shots, Revolvers .455 caliber versions 6. The automatic shotgun was popular when it first came out, but was quickly superseded by the production of reliable, inexpensive semi-automatic pistols.