Original Item. Only One Available. This is a lovely honest service used example of the Savage Navy Model, a six shot .36 caliber revolver, which was made from 1861 until 1862 with a total production of only 20,000 guns. This unique military revolver was one of the few handguns that was produced only for Civil War use. Its design was based on the antebellum Savage-North "figure eight" revolver. The Savage Navy had a unique way of cocking the hammer. The shooter used his middle finger to draw back the "figure 8" lever and then released it forward to cock the hammer and rotate the cylinder.

This is an early produced example, almost certainly manufactured in 1861. It bears the serial number 4754, which is marked on the underside of the barrel, the right frame under the grips, and the rear of the cylinder. We cannot find a serial number in any other locations, and the grips have been replaced, so we would not term this an "All Matching" example.

The upper frame stamping is still fully legible and reads-

SAVAGE R.F.A CO MIDDLETOWN. CT
H.S. NORTH PATENTED JUNE 17 1856
JANUARY 19 1859 MAY 15 1860

Overall the pistol is in nice condition, with an overall oxidized gray patina on the metalwork, with some wear from past cleaning to remove peppered oxidation. It looks like a revolver that saw long service during the war, but was relatively well cared for by the days standards.

It functions well, with good indexing and a strong cylinder lockup, though it takes a heavy trigger pull on the ring to fully cock it. It sometimes does require manual rotation of the hammer to bring it into firing position. The cylinder chambers are in good shape, and all 6 cap nipple cones are still present, which is rare due to the strong hammer strike the pistol has. They do however show oxidation and wear from use, as well as mushrooming of the tips.

The bore is in good condition, especially considering the amount of service it probably saw, all while firing corrosive black powder. It has a mostly dull finish, but rifling can still clearly be seen, and considering that many of these have bores like stovepipes, it is definitely above average. The grips are in very good shape, having been replaced with some lovely contoured examples at some point, probably during the mid 20th century. They have been stained and slightly aged to look original.

These are always hard to find, especially in this very good honest used. condition, now is your chance! Ready to add to your civil war collection and display!

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: c.1861
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 7 inches
Overall Length: 14 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

History of the Savage 1861 Model .36 Cal-

The Union purchased just fewer than 12,000 of these initially at $19.00 apiece for use by its cavalry units. Savage Navy revolvers were issued to the 1st and 2nd Wisconsin U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiments, and 5th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry while the State of Missouri issued 292 Savage revolvers to its Missouri Enrolled Militia units.

The remaining revolvers were purchased by private means and shipped to the Confederacy for use with the 34th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Nighthawks), the 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry (White's Rebels), 11th Texas Cavalry, 7th Virginia Cavalry (Ashby's Cavalry), and 7th Missouri Cavalry. The United States Navy also made a small purchase of 800 Savages during 1861 for use on its ships.

The Savage-North revolver is a direct descendant of the Savage & North Figure 8 Model Revolver and the Alsop revolver sharing many similarities with both arms. Alsop was also located in Middletown, CT. and three members of the Alsop family served on the Savage Revolving Firearms Company board of directors. Therefore, the relationship between the two companies and the two weapons was more than coincidental.

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.