A hand ejector is a

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

design that is used on most double-action revolvers to this day.

Design

A hand ejector is characterized by a cylinder that swings out on a hinge (known as a crane) and requires the pushing of a concentric rod toward the cylinder to eject the spent cases from the cylinder. The term "hand ejector" (though not the design itself) was originated by

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

to differentiate this class of revolver from the "top break" design, in which rotating the barrel together with the cylinder up and away from the gun's frame would "automatically" eject the cases.

References

{{Smith & Wesson Revolvers Firearm actions Firearm components