Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice .32cal Rimfire pocket revolver, made by the short-lived Bacon Arms Company of Norwich, Connecticut. We have seen these in several finishes, and this example looks to have had a blued finish applied at the factory, which is very well retained. It is fitted with a lovely set of walnut grips, which do not appear to have been finished originally.

Thomas K. Bacon was a very ingenious gunmaker in the mid 19th century, though sadly he never never achieved the level of success that his designs warranted before his death in 1873. He associated with several different New England gunmaking firms, including Ethan Allen, Allen and Thurber, and three other which bore his name. One company would later become the Hopkins & Allen company. Originally a manufacturer of single-shot, underhammer, and pepperbox pistols, Bacon later turned to the production of small cartridge revolvers. Unfortunately at the time Smith & Wesson still held rights to the Rollin White patent for a bored through cylinder, which resulted in lawsuits and royalties that resulted in one company shutting down.

Bacon Arms Company was the last company he founded that bore his name, and while it enjoyed some success, it closed and Bacon sold the assets of his new business in December of 1865. After this Bacon worked at various firms in the New England firearms industry until his death in 1873.

The revolver is a typical late civil war era style revolver with a "spur trigger" in .32 rimfire, fitted with a 5 shot cylinder. Designed for personal protection, the design was similar to many others that would come later, and modeled after the Smith & Wesson early rimfire revolvers.

The serial number on this example is 356, found on the frame under the grips, the rear of the cylinder, the bottom of the barrel, the trigger, and on the cylinder arbor pin. There is no serial number marking on the grips, which looks to only have been used on later production examples, which makes this a very nice "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out during its service life.

Condition is very good, still displaying much of the original blued finish on the barrel and cylinder, while the frame and grip area shows some wear to a gray patina from handling. The original Bacon address marking is still visible on top of the barrel, and we do not see any signs of refinishing:

BACON ARMS CO. NORWICH CONN.

The revolver cycles well, with relatively good indexing, however the cylinder lock is sluggish, so the cylinder can overshoot. Pulling back the hammer very slowly seems to produce less overshooting in the action. The bore is in good condition, with clear lands and grooves and a partly bright finish, with areas of fouling and past pitting, particularly on the bottom near the forcing cone end. The grip scales are in great shape, with no major chipping or cracks, and show a lovely red brown color. The spring loaded ejector rod stores correctly under the barrel, removed by pushing it back and pivoting it out.

A very nice mid 19th century rimfire pocket revolver by a short-lived maker. Ready to display!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: c.1864-5
Caliber: .32cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 8 1/4 inches
Action: Single Action 
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

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Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.