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LOT 1247
Outstanding Civil War Starr Arms Co. Model 1863 Army Revolver - Serial no. 39503, 44 cal., 8
inch bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Model 1863 Army Revolver manufactured by the Starr Arms Co. of New York, New York, c. 1863-1865 as part of the approximately 25,000 arms purchased under contract with the Ordnance Department. The
single action revolver has a high polish blue finish on the barrel, six-shot cylinder, frame, trigger guard and back strap. The
hammer and loading lever have a color casehardened finish. The frame screws have a fiery, niter blue, finish. The one-piece walnut grip is oil finished. The round barrel has a dove-tail mounted steel half-moon front sight. The top of the hammer
has a groove that serves as the rear sight. The right side of the frame is roll-stamped: “STARR’S PATENT JAN. 15, 1856” in one line below the cylinder. “STARR.ARMS. Co. NEW. YORK.” is roll-stamped on the opposite side of the frame. Single letter “B, C” and “M” Ordnance sub-
inspection marks are stamped on most components. The lower left side of the grip is stamped with the Ordnance Sub-Inspection mark which consists of three script initials with a rectangular border. The Ordnance final inspection mark consisting of three script initials with a rectangular
border is stamped on the lower right side of the grip. The serial number is stamped on the side of the cylinder and in the frame hammer slot. The
Starr Arms Co., was the Ordnance Department’s third largest supplier of revolvers during the Civil War; only Colt and Remington produced more revolvers under government contracts.
CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver appears to be in as-issued and un-fired condition, showing only limited storage and handling wear. The barrel, cylinder, frame, grip straps and trigger guard retain 90% plus of original high polish blue finish. Wear is limited to scattered flaking on the top strap, sides of the frame adjacent to the grip, grip straps and the bottom of the trigger guard. The loading lever and hammer have nearly all of the casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The frame screws retain nearly all the fire blue finish and are free from screw-driver marks. The grip is excellent with light but legible Ordnance inspection marks. This is an outstanding example of an important Federal cavalry revolver that is a key piece in any comprehensive collection of Civil War handguns.
Estimate: 5,500 - 7,500
LOT 1248
Exceptional Factory Engraved Mass. Arms Co. Maynard Primed Belt Revolver with Hand Revolved
Cylinder - Serial no. 142, 31 cal., 5 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, walnut grips. When the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Massachusetts granted Samuel Colt an injunction against Mass. Arms Co. in 1851 that prevented them from making their Wesson & Leavitt revolvers, they started making hand turned revolvers, but they were never very
popular and production was rather limited. This example was manufactured in the early to mid-1850s and has a small button on
the bottom of the action just ahead of the trigger that releases the cylinder so that it can be manually rotated. At least 200 of these pistols were shipped to abolitionist John Brown in Kansas in 1857. Other mechanisms were also tried. One method, for example, used a trigger pull to rotate the cylinder and then the hammer was manually cocked. To make these more primitive firearms more palatable to the public, Mass Arms Co. equipped it with Maynard’s tape priming system. This example has attractive scrollwork engraving on the hammer, lock, and frame; a shield with
“MAYNARD’S PATENT/[patriotic eagle and shield motif ]/SEP. 22. 1845” on the primer door; etched floral designs on the cylinder; “MASS. ARMS CO./CHICOPEE FALLS” on the top strap; “142” on the recoil shield; “340” on barrel lug; German silver blade front sight; notch rear sight; and smooth grip.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. The barrel and cylinder retain 95% bright original high polish blue finish with minor scratches. The hammer, top strap, frame, and lock plate retain 60% plus original case colors. The etching and engraving are crisp. The brass grip straps and trigger guard retain 70% original silver plating. The re-varnished grip is fine with minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500
LOT 1249
Exceptional Civil War Era Allen & Wheelock Army Model Center Hammer Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 502, 44 cal., 7 1/2 inch part octagon bbl., blue finish,
walnut grips. This is an example of a Civil War production Allen & Wheelock Army revolver that was
manufactured in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1861-1862. Some estimates suggest Allen & Wheelock only manufactured approximately
700 of these center hammer revolvers and the Ordnance Department purchased 536 Allen revolvers in 1861; all are presumed to be .44 Army revolvers. Revolvers sold on the civilian market during the Civil War were still used during the war as privately purchased sidearms. The left side of the
part octagon barrel is stamped with “ALLEN & WHEELOCK. WORCESTER. MASS. U.S./ALLEN’S PT’S. JAN.13.DEC.15.1857.SEPT.7.18.” The serial number “502” is stamped on the inside of the trigger guard, rear face of the cylinder, cylinder rod, side of the hammer, underside of the sideplate, left side of the grip frame, and underside of both grip panels.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, retains 75% plus original bright high polish blue finish with scattered areas flaking to a smooth gray and brown patina on the balance, scratches, and defined markings and edges in the metal. 75% vivid original case colors remain on the hammer and trigger guard. Grips are excellent with most of the original varnish, some minor chipping along the otherwise defined bottom edges, and some scattered light handling marks. Mechanically excellent. This attractive, high condition, Allen & Wheelock Army Model Center Hammer revolver would make a fine addition to any early American firearms collection!
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
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