Civil War Era Manhattan Navy Series III Revolver

Description

The Manhattan Firearms Company was founded in 1856 in New York, largely due to the expiration of Colt’s patent in 1857. They produced single-shot pistols, pepperbox pistols, and revolvers of calibers ranging from .22 to .36. While Manhattan had no large government contracts, many of these were privately purchased by officers and men of both sides before and during the Civil War. The .36 caliber Navy Revolver was Manhattan’s answer to the M1851 Colt Navy and approximately 78,000 were produced at their Newark, NJ factory between 1859 and 1868 in five series. This Series III revolver features blued 6 1/2” octagonal barrel, stamped “MANHATTAN FIRE ARMS CO. NEWARK N.J.” in one line. 5-shot cylinder roll-engraved with five decorative oval panels depicting military and naval scenes; stamped “PATENTED DEC 27, 1859”. Silver-plated brass trigger guard and backstrap; one-piece varnished walnut grips. Matching serial number “39752” on barrel, frame, trigger guard, cylinder, wedge, and butt of backstrap. Barrel retains most of its original bluing, cylinder scene worn with traces of bluing on the edges, silver plating remains in protected areas of trigger guard and backstrap, grips very good, rifling very good, and action functions properly. Overall length 11 5/8”. Nice representative example, showing use, but well cared for.