Metropolitan Navy Revolver
Metropolitan Arms Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1864
Also known as: Metropolitan Arms Navy Model, Metropolitan Navy Model 1864, Metropolitan 1851 Navy Copy
Overview
The Metropolitan Navy Revolver is a six-shot, single-action .36 caliber percussion revolver produced in New York City between 1864 and 1866. A near-exact copy of the Colt Model 1851 Navy, it was made by the Metropolitan Arms Company to fill the demand for Colt-pattern sidearms after a fire crippled the Colt armory in February 1864. The revolver featured a 7.5-inch octagonal barrel, an under-barrel loading lever, walnut grips, and even reproduced the naval battle scene roll-engraved on the cylinder. Roughly 6,100 examples were built, and the type saw secondary service with Union troops and later use across the American West.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1190 g (42.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 330 mm (12.99") |
| Barrel Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 229 m/s (751 fps) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 6 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .36 cal, .36 percussion, 9.1mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Single Action, Six Shot Cylinder, Center Hammer, Loading Lever, Cylinder Scene Engraving
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · adopted 1864
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- American Indian Wars (1865-1880)
Production
Estimated total produced: 6,100 · Production years: 1864-1866
Approximately 6,100 Navy-pattern revolvers produced before production wound down as Colt resumed manufacturing.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1866
Notes
Manufactured to substitute for Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers during a wartime supply gap; the Metropolitan Arms Company also produced copies of the Colt Model 1861 Navy and Model 1862 Police. Production ceased once Colt returned to full output after rebuilding its armory.
Background
When fire gutted much of Samuel Colt's Hartford armory on February 4, 1864, the Metropolitan Arms Company sprang up in New York City to supply near-identical Colt copies. Its Navy model so faithfully reproduced the Colt 1851 Navy, including the famous cylinder engraving of the 1843 Battle of Campeche, that the two are easily confused at a glance.