Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice .32cal Rimfire pocket revolver, made by the relatively short-lived Bacon Manufacturing Company of Norwich, Connecticut. It is in very good condition, showing a lovely gently used patina, with no major wear issues or damage.

Thomas K. Bacon was a very ingenious gunmaker in the mid 19th century, though sadly he never never achieved the level of success that his designs warranted before his death in 1873. He associated with several different New England gunmaking firms, including Ethan Allen, Allen and Thurber, and three other companies which bore his name. He originally had been a "jobber" for Ethan Allen, also of Norwich, but when that company moved to Worcester, Bacon opened "Bacon & Company", which was a manufacturer of single-shot, underhammer, and pepperbox pistols. Unfortunately this venture did not turn out successfully, and after a failed attempt to raise capital, closed in 1857.

Bacon then worked with Manhattan firearms, also located in Norwich at that point, but decided to start another firm under his own name in 1858, Bacon Manufacturing Company. This company started out by manufacturing Colt-style pocket percussion revolvers, and then turned to the production of small cartridge revolvers in .22, .25, .32 and .38 rimfire. Unfortunately at the time Smith & Wesson still held rights to the Rollin White patent for a bored through cylinder, which resulted in lawsuits and subsequent royalties being paid. Bacon was forced to put the Rollin White and Smith & Wesson patent information on all of the revolvers produced after this point.

In 1863, the chief shareholder of the Bacon Manufacturing Company became displeased with Thomas Bacon’s performance with the company, and forced him out. With Bacon gone, the company continued in business through 1868 but with lackluster sales and minimal success. The firm was subsequently reorganized in 1868 and was reestablished as the Hopkins & Allen company, remaining in business through the second decade of the 1900s.

This revolver is one of those produced by the Bacon Mfg. Co., however it was made BEFORE the patent lawsuits brought by Smith & Wesson, and does not have any of their patent markings on it. It is a typical civil war era style revolver with a "spur trigger" in .32 rimfire, fitted with a 6 shot cylinder. Designed for personal protection, the design was similar to many others that would come later, and modeled after the Smith & Wesson early rimfire revolvers. The serial number on this example is 231, found on the bottom of the barrel, the frame under the grips, the rear of the cylinder, and on the bottom of the removable cylinder arbor pin.  That makes this a very nice "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out during its service life.

Condition is very good, showing a lovely gray patina, faded from the original gluing, with just a bit of light peppering in areas. The original Bacon address marking is still visible on top of the barrel:

BACON MF'G. CO. NORWICH CONN.

The revolver cycles great, with good indexing, a firm cylinder lockup, and a crisp dry fire. We did not notice any of the usual finicky behavior seen on many old revolvers. The bore is in very good condition, with crisp lands and grooves and a bright finish, showing just a few small spots of fouling and oxidation. Definitely well above average for a Civil War black powder revolver. The grip scales are in great shape, with no major chipping or cracks, and a great lightly worn look. The spring retained arbor pin can still easily be removed by pressing the button on the bottom, allowing the revolver to be stripped for cleaning.

A lovely U.S. Civil War rimfire pocket revolver by a short-lived maker, still in great shape. Ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: c.1860
Caliber: .32cal
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 3 7/8 inches
Overall Length: 8 1/4 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

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