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 10 inches in overall length, mated to a 5 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 26443 on the bottom of the barrel, on the loading rammer, and on the inside of both grip scales, sometimes with a Y suffix, often seen on these examples. The cylinder arbor pin screw has unfortunately been replaced with a driven in pin, so we cannot remove the pin to check the serial number on the back of the cylinder. Internet research indicates that this revolver would have been produced sometime during 1864, 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 light peppering in areas. There are however still some traces of the original cylinder scene, though we cannot make out a lot of the designs. The original grip scales are in lovely condition, with great grain, though they do look to have been cleaned, and no longer have their original "piano varnish" finish.

The action works quite nicely, with a good cylinder lock up and a crisp dry fire. It indexes well and holds half cock and full cock. We did not notice any major finicky behavior, though the hammer must be pulled back firmly to make sure it locks into place. The bore is in very good condition, showing the 4 groove rifling clearly, with a mostly bright finish. There is just a bit of fouling and oxidation in the grooves, which is really great for a Civil War era percussion revolver.

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

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1864
Caliber: .31cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 10 inches
Action: Single Only
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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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.