Original U.S. Civil War Starr Arms M1858 .44 Double Action Army Percussion Revolver - Serial 7205

Original Item. One Only. This is a very nice "frontier worn" condition Civil War Star Arms Model 1858 Double Action Army Percussion revolver bearing the serial number of 7205, indicating production in mid 1862. This revolver was made about 33% through a production run of around 21,500 revolvers, delivered to the U.S. Army 1862-1863. After this, starting at serial number 23,000, they moved to the requested Single Action Model of 1863, which cost HALF of what the earlier model did. This model also replaced the 6 inch barrel with a longer 8 inch barrel.

All of the variations of the Starr Revolver carried six cartridges in the chambers. Our example has the serial number 7205 on the trigger guard under the grip, the rear grip support, the barrel frame, the barrel under the rammer, the end of the grip, and even on the underside of the hammer. There is also a legible serial marking on the frame UNDER the hammer, which is almost always worn away. The cylinder however is marked with 10640, so it was swapped out at arsenal long ago.

Other Markings include-

- STARR ARMS, Co. NEW. YORK. found on left side of frame.
- STARR'S PATENT JAN 16. 1856. found on right side of frame.

The finish on this Starr is definitely "well worn", showing almost a matte light gray patina from years of peppered oxidation and subsequent cleaning. This has made the geometry on the components a bit "soft", with wear around the edges, but it also gives it a really unique look. There is some wear around the loading rammer, and the front of the barrel, however all components are still intact. The grip is in good condition, having been sanded and refinished at some point. We still can however see traces of the original inspection cartouches on the sides.

The barrel still has the correct "blade" front sight in the dovetail, which shows a good amount of wear from use and cleaning. The action cycles, but it is definitely worn, and the trigger has trouble engaging the tumbler on the hammer, unless it is first pulled back to the first "click". It will sometimes catch on its own, but that only happens occasionally. The safety on the rear of the trigger is present and moves easily. The revolver properly breaks down for cleaning, and the loading rammer works well, though the pivot has a lot of slop.

The bore is in very good condition, showing a partly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, and we can see some past peppering in areas. This is still well above average for any civil war percussion revolver, and it is definitely surprising a revolver that saw so much exterior wear has a bore this good. The cylinder still has all 6 original nipples, all of which are still clear, however they do show a good amount of oxidation and powder burn on the exterior. The chambers of the cylinder also could use a good cleaning.

A lovely "frontier used example of a Starr Arms M1858 Army Double Action percussion revolver, ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1862-63
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 6 inches
Overall Length: 12 inches
Action: Double Action Only
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

More on the Starr Percussion Revolver:

Generally there are three models of Starr revolvers:

1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1863-1864) [23000 produced]

1858 Double Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (produced 1859-1860) [3000 produced]

1858 Double Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1862-1863) [~21454 produced]

History of the STARR ARMS COMPANY Revolver-

About 23,000 double-action Starr revolvers were manufactured in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Of these, most were purchased by the U.S. Army. Starr revolvers, in both single-and double-action models, represented over 12 percent of the side arms issued to Union cavalry troops. Only Colt and Remington revolvers were more frequently encountered in the hands of Northern soldiers.

Starr revolvers were invented by Eben Townsend Starr of New York City, grandson of Nathan Starr and son of Nathan Starr, Jr., famous U. S. swordmakers and riflemakers of Middletown, Connecticut. This model is marked on the right side of its frame "STARR'S PATENT JAN. 15, 1856.", and on the left side, "STARR. ARMS. Co. NEW YORK." The patent date refers to E. T. Starr's U. S. Patent 14,118 for a self-cocking percussion pepperbox. His U.S. Patent 30,843, December 4, 1860, was for his double-action revolver.

Starr firearms were made at Yonkers, Binghamton, and Morrisania, New York, from 1858 to 1867. The New York City address referred to the Starr Arms Company store and office at 267 Broadway. Starr double-action .44 caliber revolvers, with serial numbers from 1 to about 23,000, were manufactured first, and Starr single-action .44 caliber revolvers, with serial numbers from about 23,000 to about 54,000, last.

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