Griswold & Gunnison Revolver (CSA)
Griswold & Gunnison · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1862
Also known as: Griswold and Gunnison Revolver, Griswold Confederate Navy, Griswoldville Revolver
Overview
The Griswold & Gunnison revolver is a .36 caliber percussion (cap-and-ball) single-action, six-shot revolver manufactured for the Confederate States of America at Griswoldville, near Macon, Georgia, between 1862 and 1864. A close copy of the Colt Model 1851 Navy, it is distinguished from the original by a brass frame (substituting for scarce iron and steel) and a round barrel in place of Colt's octagonal one. The cylinder and barrel were forged from twisted iron, which gives surviving examples their characteristic spiral 'twist' grain. The revolver is loaded from the front of the cylinder with loose powder, a .375-inch lead ball seated by the under-barrel loading lever, and a percussion cap fitted to each nipple; it is manually cocked for each shot. With roughly 3,700 produced, the Griswold & Gunnison was the most numerous of all Confederate-made revolvers and a mainstay sidearm for Southern cavalry and officers during the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1190 g (42.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 333 mm (13.11") |
| Barrel Length | 191 mm (7.52") |
| Action Type | Single Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 210 m/s (689 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 115 J (85 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Brass |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Iron In The White |
Calibers
- .36 Percussion (cap-and-ball) · primary — also known as .36 Navy, .36 Cap and Ball, .36 Ball
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder
- Features: Brass Frame, Round Barrel, Colt 1851 Navy Copy, Twisted Iron Cylinder, Open Top Frame, Six Shot Cylinder, Loading Lever, Single Action Percussion
Service history
Operators
- Confederate States Army · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,700 · Production years: 1862-1864
Approximately 3,700 revolvers produced - the largest output of any Confederate handgun maker. Production ended November 20, 1864 when Griswoldville was burned by Union cavalry.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Samuel Griswold
Discontinued: 1864
Notes
The factory was a partnership between Samuel Griswold, a Connecticut-born cotton-gin manufacturer who built the company town of Griswoldville on some 4,000 acres, and Arvin Nye Gunnison. Much of the work was performed by enslaved laborers. Muzzle velocity and energy figures are modern chronograph-derived estimates for .36 cap-and-ball loads, not period data, and empty weight is approximate, drawn from auction descriptions and reproduction specifications. The 7-groove rifling is inferred from the Colt-1851-Navy pattern the gun copies rather than independently confirmed.
Background
Samuel Griswold was a Connecticut Yankee who made his fortune building cotton gins in the Deep South and erected an entire company town, Griswoldville, on 4,000 Georgia acres - where his revolvers were largely built by enslaved laborers. Production stopped abruptly on November 20, 1864, when the 9th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry under Capt. Frederick Ladd put the town to the torch, making Griswoldville the first town burned in Sherman's March to the Sea.