Original U.S. Civil War Starr Arms M1858 .44 Double Action Army Percussion Revolver with Grip Cartouches - Matching Serial 14256

Original Item. One Only. This is a very good good condition Civil War Star Arms Model 1858 Double Action Army Percussion revolver bearing the serial number of 14256, indicating production in mid-late 1862. This revolver was made about 75% 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 14256 on the trigger guard under the grip, the rear grip support, the barrel frame, the barrel under the rammer, the cylinder, the end of the grip, and even on the underside of the hammer. There is also a FULLY LEGIBLE marking on the frame UNDER the hammer, which is almost always worn away. That makes this a fantastic "ALL MATCHING" revolver, with no parts swapped out over the years, and it's a great one!

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 a lovely aged gray patina from use and cleaning. There is however still some of the original blued finish present in the more protected areas, and there is no major past pitting or other oxidation evident. We often see these with a lot of past pitting and powder burn, but this example looks to have only seen light use. It shows no signs of having been refurbished at any time, so it is ALL ORIGINAL patina.

The grip is in very good condition, with a very nice color, with some small dents and overall wear, but no major cracks or chips. It still has a legible cartouche on the both sides of the grip, a real rarity! It is marked on the left side of the grip with a "boxed" script EF, indicating inspection by E. Ferrar, noted for inspecting Starr M1858 .44 Revolvers over the period 1860-1868. The right side bears a "boxed" script GKC, for George K. Charter, a civilian sub-inspector who not only inspected a large number of Starr revolvers, but also S. Norris & W.T. Clement contract Model 1861 Rifle Muskets and Ames swords. Some great research potential here!

The barrel still has the correct "blade" front sight in the dovetail, which is still intact with light wear. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away, and we can see some light past peppering in areas. This is still well above average for any civil war percussion revolver, and it looks to have been well cared for while in service. The cylinder still has all 6 original nipples, all of which are still in very good condition, showing only light use. Five of the six are clear, with one clogged with a small particle of something. The cylinder chambers show little corrosion, so we doubt it is oxidized closed.

The action cycles well, with none of the finicky behavior we usually see from revolvers of this age, most likely due to how little use it saw during the war. The safety on the rear of the trigger is present, but the screw was overtightened, so it does not currently move. This normally would prevent the rear 'trigger' from being actuated when it is in the down position. The revolver properly breaks down for cleaning, and the loading rammer works great.

A lovely example of a Starr Arms M1858 Army Double Action percussion revolver with some great markings! Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1862
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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