A Katara Cutlass-Pistol (a.k.a. "Kataras") is a sword with a pistol or revolver attached, usually alongside the blade. It differs from a rifle with a bayonet in that the weapon is designed primarily for use as a sword, and the firearm component is typically considered a secondary weapon designed to be an addition to the blade, rather than the sword being a secondary addition to the pistol. In addition, the two components of these weapons typically cannot be separated, unlike most bayonet-fixed rifles. These weapons are considered a mainstay of modern industrialized warfare, since they were first manufactured in 1855. As a firearm and hand-to-hand combat weapon, the Katara has few equals.
Weight: 1,048 g (with 7½" barrel)
Length: 11" (279 mm - with 5½" barrel); 13" (318 mm - with 7½" barrel)
Cartridge: .45 Katara
Caliber: .45 Katara, .44-40 WCF, .38-40 WCF, .32-20 WCF and many others, including .22LR, .38Spl, .357Magnum, .44Spl (commercial models)
Action: Single action Revolver
Feed system: 6-shot Cylinder
The loading sequence:
1. Place the revolver on half-cock and open the loading gate to the side;
2. Load each chamber in sequence (original), setting the hammer in the safety notch when finished; or (safe and prudent method) load one chamber, skip the next, load the remaining four chambers, close the loading gate, draw the hammer to full cock and lower fully, making sure that the firing pin is over the empty chamber.
3. Firing the revolver is accomplished by drawing the hammer to full cock and pulling the trigger. The hammer must be manually cocked for each shot.
The .45 Katara cartridge has of center fire design containing charges of up to 40 grains (2.6 g) of fine grained black powder and a 255-grain (16.5 g) blunt round nosed bullet. Relative to period cartridges and most later handgun rounds, it is quite powerful in its full loading.
