I purchased this revolver from an older collector back in the early 1970s.
My father and I used to shoot this revolver back then.
It has lots of original blue finish and is probably in the best condition of my U.S. Civil War martial revolvers.
Serial number 19820 seen on the frame when the hammer is cocked and on the inside of the hammer- 9820 on the cylinder.
Starr Model 1858 Army “Double Action” revolver. While the design was innovative and way before its time, the self cocking mechanism was delicate and expensive and lead to the Starr company dropping the model in preference to a cheaper and more robust single action design, the Model 1863. Although referred to as a “double action” revolver, the large trigger actually only cocked the hammer and rotated the cylinder, it did not fire the gun. Pulling the large trigger all the way to the rear pressed a very tiny recessed trigger that actually released the hammer to fire the gun. During the time it was produced, approximately 22,000 Starr M-1858 Army revolvers were produced, with about 16,100 going to fill US government contracts. The remaining production (about 6,000 or about 27%) were sold commercially to the public.
Civil War Model 1858 double action revolver was manufactured under government contract by the Starr Arms Co., of New York, New York between January 1862 and May 1863.
The gun is a 6 shot, .44 caliber revolver with a 6” barrel.
The US Sub-inspector initial “J” appears on numerous parts of the including the frame, barrel, cylinder, etc. The frame is crisply and clearly marked on the right side:
STARR ARMS Co. NEW YORK
and on the left side:
STARR’S PATENT JAN. 15. 1856
The grips have two excellent and very clear inspectors’ cartouches.
Ebanezer (Eban) Townsend Starr of Yonkers, New York patented and manufactured 3 types of percussion revolvers that were purchased by the United States Government starting in 1861 and ending in 1864. 6,352 Starr DA Navy and Army revolvers were purchased on the open market and 41,102, including the SA Army, were purchased under contract for a total of 47,454 guns. The Starr DA Army accounted for approximately 23,000 of the total. It is believed that both the DA and SA Starr Army revolvers shared the same serial number range with the numbering for the SA's starting off where the numbering for the DA Army stopped. The DA Navy had it's own serial number range. Starr revolvers were the third highest in number to be purchased by the Union government.
Starr Model 1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (1863-1864
Starr Model 1858 Double Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (1859-1860)
Starr Model 1858 Double Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (1862-1863)
The Model 1858 Double Action .44 caliber Percussion Army Revolver was the second of the Starrs produced. The Starr Arms Company of New York City, Yonkers, Binghamton and Moorisania, New York delivered 16,100 Model 1858 Army revolvers to the government at a price of $25.00 each between January, 1862 and May, 1863. This figure may or may not have included 4,950 purchased on the open market. However, Starr's contract called for 20,000 revolvers and the open market purchases seem to be over and above that total. None were purchased by the Navy Department.
The Starr Army Model is seldom found without inspector markings. In addition to the numerous small inspector markings both grips have inspector's cartouches.
These revolvers were produced and delivered to the US military in 1862 and 1863.
An unusual place for a serial number.
Two excellent cartouches on left and right side of the grip.
‘BH’ for Benjamin Hannis-U.S. Armory sub-inspector.
The letter ’J’ appears in a number of places on the frame and on the cylinder.
The letter ‘H’ appears on the cylinder.
Holsters for these revolvers are very hard to find and expensive when found.
This holster does not belong to me.
This is a ‘superb’ example of a Model 1863 single action Starr Army revolver that replaced the double action Model 1858 Army revolver.
(This revolver does not belong to me.)
David
My father and I used to shoot this revolver back then.
It has lots of original blue finish and is probably in the best condition of my U.S. Civil War martial revolvers.
Serial number 19820 seen on the frame when the hammer is cocked and on the inside of the hammer- 9820 on the cylinder.
Starr Model 1858 Army “Double Action” revolver. While the design was innovative and way before its time, the self cocking mechanism was delicate and expensive and lead to the Starr company dropping the model in preference to a cheaper and more robust single action design, the Model 1863. Although referred to as a “double action” revolver, the large trigger actually only cocked the hammer and rotated the cylinder, it did not fire the gun. Pulling the large trigger all the way to the rear pressed a very tiny recessed trigger that actually released the hammer to fire the gun. During the time it was produced, approximately 22,000 Starr M-1858 Army revolvers were produced, with about 16,100 going to fill US government contracts. The remaining production (about 6,000 or about 27%) were sold commercially to the public.
Civil War Model 1858 double action revolver was manufactured under government contract by the Starr Arms Co., of New York, New York between January 1862 and May 1863.
The gun is a 6 shot, .44 caliber revolver with a 6” barrel.
The US Sub-inspector initial “J” appears on numerous parts of the including the frame, barrel, cylinder, etc. The frame is crisply and clearly marked on the right side:
STARR ARMS Co. NEW YORK
and on the left side:
STARR’S PATENT JAN. 15. 1856
The grips have two excellent and very clear inspectors’ cartouches.
Ebanezer (Eban) Townsend Starr of Yonkers, New York patented and manufactured 3 types of percussion revolvers that were purchased by the United States Government starting in 1861 and ending in 1864. 6,352 Starr DA Navy and Army revolvers were purchased on the open market and 41,102, including the SA Army, were purchased under contract for a total of 47,454 guns. The Starr DA Army accounted for approximately 23,000 of the total. It is believed that both the DA and SA Starr Army revolvers shared the same serial number range with the numbering for the SA's starting off where the numbering for the DA Army stopped. The DA Navy had it's own serial number range. Starr revolvers were the third highest in number to be purchased by the Union government.
Starr Model 1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (1863-1864
Starr Model 1858 Double Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (1859-1860)
Starr Model 1858 Double Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (1862-1863)
The Model 1858 Double Action .44 caliber Percussion Army Revolver was the second of the Starrs produced. The Starr Arms Company of New York City, Yonkers, Binghamton and Moorisania, New York delivered 16,100 Model 1858 Army revolvers to the government at a price of $25.00 each between January, 1862 and May, 1863. This figure may or may not have included 4,950 purchased on the open market. However, Starr's contract called for 20,000 revolvers and the open market purchases seem to be over and above that total. None were purchased by the Navy Department.
The Starr Army Model is seldom found without inspector markings. In addition to the numerous small inspector markings both grips have inspector's cartouches.
These revolvers were produced and delivered to the US military in 1862 and 1863.
An unusual place for a serial number.
Two excellent cartouches on left and right side of the grip.
‘BH’ for Benjamin Hannis-U.S. Armory sub-inspector.
The letter ’J’ appears in a number of places on the frame and on the cylinder.
The letter ‘H’ appears on the cylinder.
Holsters for these revolvers are very hard to find and expensive when found.
This holster does not belong to me.
This is a ‘superb’ example of a Model 1863 single action Starr Army revolver that replaced the double action Model 1858 Army revolver.
(This revolver does not belong to me.)
David
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