Original Item: Only One Available. Well THIS is a real peach! This is a very nice 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 and is in the same .36cal percussion, but it has a five shot cylinder, instead of the Colt's six.

This example features a standard 5" barrel and matching serial number 840, which is found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, the bottom of the grip, cylinder arbor pin, and even the barrel wedge! The rear of the cylinder is quite worn, so there is no serial number present there anymore, but we have no reason to doubt that is original to the gun. There are still traces of the original 5 engraved scenes on the cylinder, but they are partly worn away due to oxidation and powder burn. However all cap nipples are still present, and clear, though a bit worn. As this is a Series I revolver, there was never a patent date stamped on the cylinder.

From internet research, we know that the Series I revolvers have serial numbers from 1 to around 4200, and were manufactured from early 1859 to January 1860. This makes this a pre Civil War produced gun, probably made in mid 1859, so it almost certainly saw service during the conflict.

Top of the barrel still has the correct Series I manufacturer engraving from before the company moved to Newark:

The revolver has a lovely patina of age and is in fully functional condition. The Walnut grips are solid, with a lovely color, with the original finish worn away. The metal finish has been worn to a lovely gray patina from years of use and cleaning. The trigger guard/grip frame is worn a bit, which has entire removed the original nickel plating from the brass, which is typical, even for well cared for revolvers. The bore is in good condition, with clear lands and grooves, and the expected oxidation from fouling and use. Functionally, the revolver cycles well, but can be a bit finicky at times due to wear on the cylinder ratchet.

This is just a very nice pre civil war percussion revolver, ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: c.1859-60
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 10 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”.

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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.