Original Item: Only One Available. Here is a very nice .31 caliber percussion revolver with a flat five shot cylinder made by the famous Eli Whitney company in New Haven, Connecticut. Designated the Whitney Pocket Model Revolver, this type of revolver is a .31 caliber sidearm, a scaled down version of the larger "Navy" version. A total of 32,500 of these handguns were produced at the Whitneyville Armory manufacturing center in the Whitneyville section of New Haven, Connecticut from 1859 through the mid 1860s. These revolvers were great favorites with Union Officers, who purchased these as a personal second revolver to take into battle. They were easily concealed and most effective, giving the officer an additional 5 shots when needed.

In good condition, this Second Model Whitney sidearm has the correct three-screw model frame with a 5-shot unrebated cylinder, which has 5 safety slots on the rear. It is 9 inches in overall length, mated to a 4 inch long octagonal barrel and has a "Colt-type" latch on the loading lever, which replaced the earlier ball bearing type. There were several different types of the 2nd Model Pocket produced by whitney, with the 4th Type running from serial numbers 15,000 to 25,000, after which the 5th type was released. We do not however know what the changes made to the design were to result in another type being designated by collectors.

The revolver has serial number 15459 on the bottom of the barrel, on the cylinder arbor pin, on the loading rammer, and on the inside of both grip scales, sometimes with an A suffix, as often seen on these examples. We checked the cylinder, however there are no markings that we can see on the front, back, or elsewhere. The revolver looks to have seen long service, and had had the pin latch replaced with a fabricated example, and there also has been a sight installed on the front of the frame. Internet research indicates that this revolver would have been produced sometime during 1860, though there are no real factory records to check.

The top of the barrel still has the correct original Whitney address marking:

E. WHITNEY
N. HAVEN

Overall the revolver looks great, with a lovely aged patina overall, showing some past peppering in areas, but no major rust issues. We checked the cylinder, and there are only "ghosts" of the original cylinder scene, and the rest of the surface has seen similar wear. The original grip scales are in lovely condition, with great grain, showing no major damage, just the usual wear from use. They still have probably around 50% of the original "piano varnish" applied at the factory.

The action still works relatively well, though it often does not index correctly, and needs to be manually helped into the locked position, after which it holds firmly. There is a leather washer in front of the 

The bore is in very good condition, showing the seven groove rifling clearly, with a partly bright finish. There is some past fouling and oxidation in the grooves, which is still well above average for a Civil War era percussion revolver.

A lovely Civil War Private Purchase secondary revolver that saw long service during the war, ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1860
Caliber: .31cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 9 inches
Action: Single Only
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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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.