Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely late Civil War Era Percussion revolver, made by the MANHATTAN FIREARMS COMPANY of NEWARK, N.J.. The company was originally founded in 1856, mainly to make Colt-style revolvers once their patent ran out in 1857. This revolver looks just like a Colt Navy but it has a five shot cylinder, instead of the Colt's six.

This example features the standard 6 ½" barrel, and serial number 52827, which is found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, left side of the cylinder arbor pin, and the bottom of the grip. The rear of the cylinder is marked with shortened number 2827, while the barrel wedge is an un-matched arsenal replacement. That makes this a very nice "MOSTLY MATCHING" example, with no major parts swapped out over the years! Like most that we see, the original cylinder scene engraving is relatively worn, with just the five oval "panels" really still being visible. The PATENTED DEC. 27. 1859 marking is still fully legible however, something we rarely see! The cap are all still clear, and show wear and oxidation from use in service.

From internet research, we know that the Series IV revolvers have serial numbers from around 45,200 to 69,200, and were manufactured from April 1864 to June 1867. This gun was most likely produced at the very end of the war, or just after. Production slowed to a crawl after the war, as the other firearms manufacturers no longer had military contracts, and focused more on the civilian market. As the Manhattan Fire Arms Co mainly made weapons for the civilian market, this drastically increased competition.

Top of the barrel still has a mostly intact Series IV manufacturer engraving, indicating the move to Newark:

The revolver has a lovely patina of age and is in fully functional condition, looking to have been cleaned and restored sometime in the recent past. The revolver cycles well, with a firm cylinder lockup and correct indexing. We did not notice any of the usual finicky behavior we can see on revolvers of this age. The Walnut grips are solid, with a lovely color, though the original "piano varnish" finish is completely gone, replaced by a nice oiled finish. There are just a few dents around the bottom edge of the grip, and some staining next to the iron frame.

The trigger guard/grip frame is worn a bit, however still retains areas of the original nickel plating, something we almost never see. The bore is in very good original condition, showing strong lands and grooves with a partly bright finish. There is some scattered oxidation and fouling, especially close to the breech end, however this is definitely well above average, and is really a really nice bore for a Civil War era percussion revolver.

A lovely Manhattan Navy percussion revolver from the end of the Civil War, ready to research and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1865-6
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 6 ½ inches
Overall Length: 12 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

History of Manhattan Firearms:

The Manhattan Fire Arms Manufacturing Co. was founded by a group of New Jersey businessmen in 1856. Their goal was to take advantage of Colt’s patent for revolving firearms that was due to expire in 1857. The founders hired Thomas Bacon to became the Superintendent of Manufacturing.

Manufacturing began in Norwich, Connecticut and in 1859 moved to Newark, New Jersey. Thomas Bacon remained in Norwich and started his own firearms company. During their existence, Manhattan Firearms produced approximately 175,000 pistols. Only Colt, Remington, and Winchester produced more guns during this era in which included the Civil War.

While waiting for Colt’s patent to expire, Manhattan first made copies of American firearms that no longer had patent protection. These included pepperboxes and various single-shot designs. Shortly thereafter, they turned their attention to making Colt-style revolvers in both the .31 caliber Pocket and .36 caliber Navy styles. Manhattan patented an extra set of cylinder safety notches on these models. Manhattans can be easily identified by the many notches on their cylinders.

After the Civil War, Manhattan production primarily consisted of a copy of the Smith & Wesson .22 caliber cartridge revolver and a single-shot boot pistol under the name "HERO". Manhattan changed it's name in 1868 to American Standard Tool Company and began to market industrial tools as well as firearms. American Standard Tool closed during the financial panic of 1873.

Manhattan Firearms also manufactured guns under the trade names “Hero”, “London Pistol Company”, and “American Standard Tool”.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

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.