Original Item: Only One Available. Well THIS is a real peach! This is an excellent lightly used condition Civil War 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 fantastic example features the shorter 4" barrel and matching serial number 41384, which is found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, cylinder arbor pin, barrel wedge, and the bottom of the grip. The rear of the cylinder bears clear shortened number 1384, making this a very desirable "ALL MATCHING" example, and it's a great one! As a real rarity, the revolver has over 90% of the original cylinder engraving present, which consists of five different scenes, one for each chamber, all of which are still easily discernable. The cap nipple cones are all clear and in great shape, and there is even the original PATENTED DEC.27.1859 marking by the rear is fully visible! This revolver saw only light use and was very well cared for.

From internet research, we know that the Series III revolvers have serial numbers from around 14,500 to 45,200, and were manufactured from September 1861 to April 1864. This makes this a definitely Civil War produced gun, probably made in early-mid 1862. Production slowed 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 clear Series III single line manufacturer engraving, indicating the move to Newark:

The left side of the barrel is also retailer marked, with B. KITTREDGE & CO in an arc over CIN O, for B. Kittredge & Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. This company was a major outfitter during the Civil War Era, and when Colts were hard to come by due to the factory fire, they had to find an alternate source, and went to Manhattan revolvers to fill the need.

These revolvers were produced with a blued finish on the barrel and cylinder, and probably a case colored finish on the frame and other smaller parts. In this case the original finish is still very well retained overall, which we almost never see! We do not see any signs of past peppering or other oxidation, and the markings are crisp, so it has not been refinished at any time. The barrel still retains strong bluing in many places, as does the cylinder, while the case coloring on the frame and locating rammer is still definitely visible, though faded. The American Black Walnut grips are in great shape, showing only light wear and retaining 90%+ of the original "piano varnish" finish, with wear on the bottom edges. The trigger guard/grip frame is worn a bit, which has removed most of the original nickel plating from the brass, which is typical, even for well cared for revolvers.

Functionally, the revolver indexes well with a strong cylinder lockup and crisp dry fire. We did not notice any of the usual finicky behavior we often see with early revolvers, and there is very little slop in the mechanics. The cylinder wedge removes easily allowing the revolver to be taken down, and when fully assembled the barrel to frame connection is rock solid. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There is some evidence of past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, but this is well above most examples that we see, and with a bit brighter finish it would be considered excellent.

This is definitely best example we have had of a Manhattan revolver in some time, and possibly the best we have ever had! A great lightly used civil war percussion revolver that has passed the test of time with flying colors, ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: early 1864
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 9 1/2 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.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

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.