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that “the only surviving copy of the Miller Patent has only recently come to light. Patent protection was granted for their system of revolving the cylinder and the cylinder stop-lock below the barrel breech into the periphery of the cylinder. This was one of the earliest revolving arms patented in the United States, but lacked the important feature of automatic cocking and locking of the cylinder which was later claimed by Colt in his first U.S. revolver patent of 1836. Our understanding of their history has evolved over the years.” In “Robert P. Eldredge’s Billinghurst Cylinder Rifle” by Frank Graves for the American Society of Arms Collectors in 2003 (copy included), Graves indicates that he did not believe that the Millar brothers manufactured the guns themselves and instead had Billinghurst and others manufacture them in their shop. Many of the known makers have been identified as working for Billinghurst and/or the Millars, and some may have manufactured them under license. Billinghurst is often identified as having purchased the rights in 1841 and purchased Joseph Medbury’s shop that year. The patent would have expired in 1843 per the terms on the patent document. Billinghurst became the most famous of the makers of these innovative revolving rifles and advertised them for many years.
This historic early example and the included patent document are illustrated and discussed in the 1983 American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin 48 article “An Update on the J. & J. Miller (Millar) Revolving Cylinder Guns” by Ernest L. Bates (copy included). Bates indicates “I was directed to Dr. Richard Harvey Millar, a retired dentist residing in Mt. Clemens, who is a grand nephew of James and John Miller (Millar). Not only did Dr. Millar have the family genealogy, but he also has the original patent papers and James’ personal gun, both of which he has kindly loaned me and are presently part of my display. The barrel of this gun is one of two known that carry the address of ‘J. Millar Rochester.’ In the case of the patent papers, we were, at last, able to determine the salient features claimed by Millar. This patent was issued to James Millar on June 11, 1829; however, the patent office copy was destroyed in the fire of 1836...The patent was issued by Andrew Jackson, President of the United States, was co-signed by Martin Van Buren, Secretary of State and witnessed by W. Macpherson Berrien, Attorney General.” An included statement from William Millar from 2021 states that the rifle was previously owned by his Uncle Bert Millar who lived next to the Millar family cemetery near Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where James Millar is buried, then his father received it from the estate, and William subsequently inherited the rifle from his father.
The patent is particularly valuable as the original patent from the U.S. Patent Office was destroyed in the first fire in 1836 as noted in Bates’s article. Nearly 10,000 patent records and approximately 7,000 patent models were destroyed in the fire. The document still retains the faded original seal on the left and has been matted and neatly framed. Included correspondence between Dr. Millar and Director H.J. Swinney of The Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum discusses preserving the document, and letters to Millar from Bates concerning the latter copying the patent document, photographing the rifle, and publishing his research are also included.
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The “Miller Patent” revolving rifles have been discussed in various publications, including in “Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values” which notes in the 9th Edition