Clark Sherrard Revolver
Clark, Sherrard & Co. · Revolver · Discontinued · 1866
Also known as: Clark, Sherrard & Co. Texas Dragoon, Clark & Sherrard Dragoon, Texas Arms Company Revolver
Overview
The Clark Sherrard Revolver is a single-action, .44 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver produced in Lancaster, Texas, around 1866-1867 by Clark, Sherrard & Co., the post-war successor to the wartime Confederate maker Tucker, Sherrard & Co. A close copy of the Colt Third Model Dragoon, it features a six-shot cylinder, an open-top frame, a round trigger guard, and an attached loading lever, but omits the loading aperture in the barrel lug found on the Colt original. Assembled and finished after the American Civil War from parts of an unfulfilled Texas state contract, surviving examples are rare and historically significant.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1900 g (67.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 356 mm (14.02") |
| Barrel Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Action Type | Single Action Revolver |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 410 J (302 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 70 m (77 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Caliber Percussion · primary — also known as .44 Black Powder, .44 Percussion, .454 Round Ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Single Action, Cap And Ball, Percussion, Walnut Grips, Loading Lever, Open Top Frame, Colt Dragoon Copy
Service history
Operators
- Confederate States of America
- State of Texas
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 400 · Production years: 1866-1867
Approximately 400 .44 caliber Clark & Sherrard revolvers are estimated to have been assembled and finished after the war, in addition to roughly 130 earlier Tucker & Sherrard examples. Surviving specimens are scarce.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Tucker, Sherrard & Co.
Discontinued: 1867
Notes
Originally contracted as part of Tucker, Sherrard & Co.'s 1861-1862 Confederate contract with the State of Texas for 1,500 .44 caliber and 1,500 .36 caliber revolvers, which was terminated in 1863 due to material and labor shortages. Foreman A.S. Clark wrote in 1867 that the firm held about 400 '.44 old style army revolvers' to be finished as high-class merchandise and sold at $20 in gold. Barrels are typically etched 'CLARK, SHERRARD & CO. / LANCASTER, TEXAS' with 'TEXAS / star / ARMS' cylinder markings.
Background
The revolver traces to a Confederate arms-making venture in Lancaster, Texas. Tucker, Sherrard & Co. could not fulfill its state contract during the war, and the unfinished parts and machinery passed to Clark, Sherrard & Co., who embellished and sold the leftover .44 'old style army' revolvers as commercial merchandise in the post-war years.