Original Item: Only One Available. These are very rare! C. S. Pettengill of New Haven, CT was granted U.S. Patent 15,388 on July 22, 1856, which was for this "Self-Cocking" design. The design was then improved by Edward A. Raymond and Charles Robotaille of Brooklyn, NY, who were granted U.S. Patent 21,054 on July 27, 1858. Production was then started in 1858 at the Rogers and Spencer production plant, being overseen by HENRY S. ROGERS himself. The first model to be produced were the .31 Caliber Pocket Model and the .34 Caliber Navy Model.

In 1862 Henry S. Rogers of Willow Vale, NY, was granted U.S. Patent 36,861 on November 4, 1862, which was used for the new .44 Caliber Army Model. The U.S. government placed an initial order for 5,000 Units at $ 20.00. per piece, hoping to quickly arm for the Civil War. Unfortunately the Army testing facility found that the powder fouling was so severe that they wanted to cancel the entire order. A compromise was reached with the order being cut to 3,400 units only.

These were delivered and accepted between October 1862 through January of 1863. The 3rd Michigan cavalry were issued 500 guns, and the 3rd and 5th Missouri, the 1st Arkansas, the 3rd Illinois, and 3rd Kentucky also received a number of guns. However due to the fouling issues, by the end of 1863 all of the .44 caliber Army Revolvers had been replaced with Colt 1860 Revolvers.

Here we have a typical .44 cal Army model percussion revolver, which is only the second of this model that we have ever had. It features the standard internal hammer and a cylinder in .44 caliber with 6 shots. The octagonal barrel is 7 1/2" long and the gun is 14" in overall length. The serial number on the bottom of the grip and cylinder has unfortunately been worn away, with what looks to be an old repair on the bottom of the grip. The grip plates also have most likely been replaced, so they do not have any inspection cartouches. However, there are W W stamps on the left side of the barrel, the frame, and the cylinder, for ordnance inspector William Walter, noted for inspecting Remington-Elliot M1861 .44 and Pettengill .44 Revolvers during the 1862-1864 period.

The top cylinder strap is marked:

While the bottom is marked:

The revolver displays an overall worn gray mottled patina, with some small areas of the original bluing visible. There is not any major oxidation or pitting on the exterior, just some light peppering. The replaced grips look great, showing only light wear.

Functionally, it indexes correctly with a strong dry fire, however the cylinder often "rebounds" back to the previous chamber when released. Removing the arbor pin retaining screw allows the arbor pin / rammer to be removed, and the cylinder to be taken out for reloading. We checked the cap nipples, and they are all in great shape, showing only light use. The bore is in excellent condition, and shows very little evidence of ever having been fired. It has a glossy bright finish with crisp lands and grooves, with just a few scattered spots of oxidation, and no evidence of past removed fouling. Truly an exceptional bore from the era of percussion black powder.

In full working order and in very good condition with a FANTASTIC bore, this was the ONLY Hammerless design available during the Civil War. Only the second example we have ever had, ready to research and display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: circa 1863
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 14 inches
Action: Double Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.