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F226. SAVAGE NAVY REVOLVER: The Savage “Navy” self-cocking
revolver is one of the most uniquely recognizable and possibly most ungainly
handguns of the Civil War era. The .36 caliber, 6-shot revolver had a 7”
octagon barrel and a distinctive action. The gun featured a ring-shaped cocking
lever inside with a heart shaped trigger guard, which is used to advance the
cylinder and cock the hammer. The shooter could then fire the gun with the
traditional trigger. The gun was the final version of a family of self-cocking
revolvers that were built upon the “Figure-8” design
of JS North. From the very beginning the revolver had been intended
as a martial arm by its inventors and manufacturers, and significant effort was
put forth in the years preceding the war to obtain a US military. The state of
Massachusetts procured 285 of the Savage revolvers early in the conflict.
Additional arms were sold to military outfitters and arms retailers like
Schuyler, Hartley & Graham and William Syms & Brothers. Both of these
companies sold Savage Navy revolvers to the US government during early 1862.
The Savage Revolving Firearms Company secured the first US military contract,
directly with the US government on October 16, 1861. This contract called for
Savage to deliver 5,000 pistols between October 1861 and March 1862. Another
contract was received from the government in November of 1861 to supply an
additional 5,000 revolvers, between November 1861 and May of 1862. Savage
completed their initial contract in a timely fashion, but had trouble
delivering the guns from the second contract on the agreed to schedule. The
second contract was temporarily voided by the Ordnance Department, but after
negotiating with Savage, an agreement was reached where the 4,500 outstanding
guns from that contract would be delivered. The deliveries under the second
contract were completed by July of 1862. Of the approximately 20,000 Savage
“Navy” models produced during the Civil War the US Ordnance Department took
delivery of 11,384 of the guns, and the Navy took delivery of 1,126. The
balance of approximately 8,500 guns were offered for civilian sale, although
most those revolvers no doubt ended up seeing action during the war. The
pistols saw significant field service during the war and were issued to at
least 26 US cavalry regiments and were listed among the arms of some half dozen
or more Confederate cavalry regiments. US volunteer cavalry regiments that were
issued Savage Navy revolvers included the 6th, 10th & 13th Illinois, the
5th & 15th Kansas, 11th Kentucky, the 3rd, 4th & 7th Missouri, 7th New
York 3rd Ohio, 7th Pennsylvania, 1st & 2nd Wisconsin, 1st Vermont and the
Potomac Brigade. The revolvers were also issued to the 1st through 9th Missouri
State Militia Cavalry. The two regiments who carried the most Savages on their
ordnance rolls were the 4th Missouri State Militia Cavalry with 714 and the 2nd
Wisconsin with 400. Confederate cavalry units that listed the Savage Navy among
their arms were the 11th Texas, 7th Virginia, and the 34th & 35th Virginia
Cavalry Battalions.
The serial number onthis gun is 3813 which places it within
the range for the first US contract. The gun has great eye appeal with faint
traces of original bluing and a nice mellow patina. The action is tight and
it correctly cycles. There is no visible cartouche on the grip but being an early
gun, it might have worn off. The marks on the top for the gun are very
strong. Shipping is included. $1975.00
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