Item:
ON5868

Original U.S. Civil War Whitney 2nd Model Navy Percussion Revolver in .36 Caliber - Serial 11448

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice condition example of a Whitney Navy percussion revolver. It was purchased from a private collector, and appears to have seen service and use long past the Civil War.

 The Whitney Navy is a 6-shot, .36 caliber, single action percussion revolver that was manufactured from the late 1850s through the early 1860s. The revolver went into production after Colt's patent on his revolver mechanism expired in 1857. The first 1,500 or so (aka "1st Model" Whitney Navy revolvers) were manufactured without a loading lever and were of lighter construction than the later 2nd Model revolvers. Between the Whitney desire to improve upon the guns, and the habit of making design changes when parts on hand ran out, both the 1st and 2nd Models were manufactured in a number of different "types" with a clear pattern of evolution that took place throughout their production. Some 33,000 Whitney Navy revolvers were produced during the production run, with many seeing US government use. The US Army acquired 10,587 of the revolvers between 1861 and 1864 and the US Navy purchased an additional 6,226 between 1863 and 1865. The state of New Jersey purchased 920 Whitney Navy revolvers in 1863, but 792 of those guns were subsequently resold to the US Army in 1863 and 1864. Those guns are included in the US Army purchases listed above.

A number of Whitney Navy revolvers also appear to have been acquired by the South and saw service during the American Civil War. Some were purchased prior to the outbreak of hostilities, and these guns tend to early production 2nd Model revolvers produced prior to the spring of 1861. A good example is Whitney Navy #3110, which was owned by Confederate cavalry general J.E.B. Stuart, and is now in the collection of the Virginia Historical Society. However, Confederate forces acquired many more Whitney Navy revolvers after the conflict started. These later production guns were no doubt obtained through a combination of capturing weapons and purchasing the guns surreptitiously from secondary retailers rather than Whitney. At least two-dozen Whitney Navy revolvers are known to have been repaired for use by the 4th Virginia "Black Horse" Cavalry, and a handful of identified Whitney Navy revolvers with Confederate provenance exist was well.

It is not surprising that the revolver found favor on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, as the robust design with a reinforcing top strap, a solid frame with a screwed in barrel and the simple turn of a wing nut to release the loading lever and cylinder arbor were all significant improvements over the open topped frame and wedge-retained barrel of the Colt design. The popularity of the revolvers in the south is further indicated by the fact that the design was copied by Confederate gunmakers Spiller & Burr and T.W. Cofer, both of whom produced Whitney-like revolvers for the south.

This gun retains strong traces of original finish. The metal of the gun is almost entirely smooth throughout, with wear throughout. It has been cleaned several times, which unfortunately has made some of the markings illegible.

The barrel, both halves of the loading lever, and grip panels show serial number 11448, and they are all still clear. The frame serial number has unfortunately been obliterated by wear and oxidation. The Cylinder does not show any of the original engraving, but does have traces of shortened serial number 1448. The loading lever retains a good amount of its original case coloring.

The top of the octagon barrel is still faintly stamped, though it is quite worn:

E WHITNEY

N. HAVEN

The action of the revolver is mechanically sound, and the gun times, indexes and locks-up as it should. It is however 150 years old and worn, so it can be finicky. Pulling the hammer slowly works best. Five of the original nipples are present, and all are clear. The original brass-post front site is still present, though worn.

The bore is in good condition, and shows strong rifling, though there is definitely some light oxidation and fouling. The original arbor pin retention thumbscrew is in place and operates. The small brass trigger guard (correct for this model) has a pleasing aged patina. The original two-piece oil finished walnut grips are present, and are in good condition, complete with serial numbers on the inner face.

Overall this is a very good example of a scarce Whitney Navy that was used in the Civil War. This will be a fine addition to your collection of Civil War arms of a really hard to find revolver offered in fully functional condition.

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1863-64
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 7 5/8 inches
Overall Length: 13 1/2 inches
Action: Single - Percussion Cap
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.

  • This product is not available for shipping in US state(s): New Jersey

    This product is available for international shipping.
  • Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon

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