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Item:
ON1898

Original U.S. Civil War Era Moore's Teat Fire .32 Cal Revolver Serial 1384 - Engraved and Silver Plated

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a really cute example of a small just post Civil War revolver  with a six shot cylinder in .32 Teat-fire caliber. The frame is silver plated brass, some showing through the plating. It is beautifully scroll engraved all over the frame and still has pristine walnut grips. The underside of the barrel is marked with serial number 1384, which we estimate puts production around 1865. The 3 1/4" barrel is marked :-

MOORES PAT. FIRE ARMS CO. BROOKLYN N.Y.


It is also marked on the back of the cylinder:

D.WILLIAMSON'S PATENT JANUARY 5.1864

The Silver plate has been left unpolished to preserve the lovely patina. The action is tight and move smoothly. In lovely condition and most original color, this is ready to display.

The Teat-fire cartridge was a .32 caliber pistol cartridge designed by Daniel Moore and manufactured by Moore and his partner David Williamson for their Pocket Revolver and was produced under both the Moore and National Arms marques by the National Arms Company of Brooklyn, New York in the mid-19th century.

The Moore Caliber .32 Teat-fire, which used a unique cartridge to get around the Rollin White patent owned by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson, proved very popular during the Civil War, with both soldiers and civilians. The "Teat-fire" cartridges did not have a rim at the back like conventional cartridges, but were rounded at the rear, with a small "teat" that would protrude through a tiny opening in the rear of the cylinder. The priming mixture was contained in the "teat" and when the hammer struck it, the cartridge would fire. Thus, it was akin to a rimfire cartridge, but instead of having priming all the way around the edge of the rim, it is centrally located in the teat. This also meant that the revolver cylinder was loaded from the front, which is why there is a loading gate at the front of the frame, and not the rear.

Moore's Caliber .32 Teat-fire Pocket Revolver proved very popular during the American Civil War, with both soldiers and civilians. National Arms produced about 30,000 of the revolvers from 1864 to 1870, when it was acquired by Colt's Manufacturing Company.

Specifications: 

Years of Manufacture: 1864-1870
Caliber: .32 cal Teat-fire
Ammunition Type: Teat-Fire cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 1/4 inches
Overall Length: 7 inches
Action:  Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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


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

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