Original Item. One Only. This is a lovely honest used Civil War Star Arms Model 1858 Double Action Army Percussion revolver, bearing the serial number of 15379, indicating production in mid-late 1862. This revolver was made about 75% through a production run of around 21,500 revolvers, delivered to the U.S. Army 1862-1863. After this, starting at serial number 23,000, they moved to the requested Single Action Model of 1863, which cost HALF of what the earlier model did. This model also replaced the 6 inch barrel with a longer 8 inch barrel.

All of the variations of the Starr Revolver carried six cartridges in the chambers. Our example has the serial number 15379 on the trigger guard under the grip, the rear grip support, the barrel frame, the barrel under the rammer, the cylinder, the end of the grip, and even on the underside of the hammer. There is also a FULLY LEGIBLE marking on the frame UNDER the hammer, which is almost always worn away. That makes this a fantastic "ALL MATCHING" revolver, with no parts swapped out over the years!

Other Markings include-

- STARR ARMS, Co. NEW. YORK. found on left side of frame.
- STARR'S PATENT JAN 16. 1856. found on right side of frame.

The finish on this Starr is for the most part worn to a gray patina from long use in service and subsequent cleaning. There is a bit of the original blued finish present, but only in protected areas such as under the barrel by the loading rammer. It shows no signs of having been refurbished or majorly cleaned at any time, so it is ALL ORIGINAL patina, with just a bit of light peppering in areas. The grip is in very good condition, with a very nice color, showing overall wear from service. The original cartouches are unfortunately worn away, and there is wear around the bottom edge. There are also a lot of dents on the bottom of the grip, probably from being used to strike something.

The barrel still has the correct "blade" front sight in the dovetail, which is still intact with light wear. The bore is in very good condition, with clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright finish, showing some traces of past fouling and oxidation, now cleaned away. We would probably rate this a 8 out of 10, which is definitely great for a civil war percussion revolver. The cap nipple cones on the cylinder are all present, with all clear and showing light oxidation on the exterior.

The action cycles well, with a crisp dry fire, with just a bit of stiffness in the mechanics. The cylinder lock is a bit work, so the cylinder can be moved with the hammer fully forward sometimes. The safety on the rear of the trigger, which prevents it from moving back far enough to touch the rear trigger, is currently rust frozen. The revolver properly breaks down for cleaning, and the loading rammer works great.

In lovely condition, this is a revolver that looks to have seen light to moderate use in service during the Civil War! Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: mid-late 1862
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 6 inches
Overall Length: 12 inches
Action: Double Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on the Starr Percussion Revolver:

Generally there are three models of Starr revolvers:

1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1863-1864) [23000 produced]

1858 Double Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (produced 1859-1860) [3000 produced]

1858 Double Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1862-1863) [~21454 produced]

History of the STARR ARMS COMPANY Revolver-

About 23,000 double-action Starr revolvers were manufactured in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Of these, most were purchased by the U.S. Army. Starr revolvers, in both single-and double-action models, represented over 12 percent of the side arms issued to Union cavalry troops. Only Colt and Remington revolvers were more frequently encountered in the hands of Northern soldiers.

Starr revolvers were invented by Eben Townsend Starr of New York City, grandson of Nathan Starr and son of Nathan Starr, Jr., famous U. S. swordmakers and riflemakers of Middletown, Connecticut. This model is marked on the right side of its frame "STARR'S PATENT JAN. 15, 1856.", and on the left side, "STARR. ARMS. Co. NEW YORK." The patent date refers to E. T. Starr's U. S. Patent 14,118 for a self-cocking percussion pepperbox. His U.S. Patent 30,843, December 4, 1860, was for his double-action revolver.

Starr firearms were made at Yonkers, Binghamton, and Morrisania, New York, from 1858 to 1867. The New York City address referred to the Starr Arms Company store and office at 267 Broadway. Starr double-action .44 caliber revolvers, with serial numbers from 1 to about 23,000, were manufactured first, and Starr single-action .44 caliber revolvers, with serial numbers from about 23,000 to about 54,000, last.

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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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