Pettengill Navy Revolver
Rogers, Spencer & Co. · Pistol · Discontinued · 1858
Also known as: Pettengill Navy Model, Pettengill Belt Model, Pettengill .34 Navy Revolver, Raymond & Robitaille Pettengill Navy
Overview
The Pettengill Navy Revolver is a .34 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver, the smaller belt-sized companion to the better-known Pettengill Army Model. Like its larger sibling it is a hammerless, double-action-only design built around a fully enclosed internal L-shaped hammer, firing a six-shot cylinder through a short octagonal barrel. Manufactured by Rogers, Spencer & Co. of Willow Vale, New York, fewer than 900 Navy examples were produced, with the United States Navy among the small number of purchasers before the complex internal lockwork and its tendency to foul with blackpowder ended production.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 680 g (24.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 265 mm (10.43") |
| Barrel Length | 114 mm (4.49") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 215 m/s (705 fps) |
| Effective Range | 35 m (38 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .34 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .34 cal, .34 percussion, .34 Navy, 8.6mm
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cylinder
- Features: Internal Hammer, Octagonal Barrel, Six Shot Cylinder, Self Cocking Double Action
Service history
Operators
- United States Navy · adopted 1858
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 900 · Production years: 1858-1863
Roughly 900 Navy/Belt model revolvers produced, far fewer than the Army Model. The U.S. Navy is recorded as ordering 900 Pettengill revolvers.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Charles S. Pettengill
Discontinued: 1863
Notes
The Navy or 'Belt' model is far scarcer than the Army version, with total production estimated at fewer than 900 guns. Surviving examples are sometimes martially marked from the U.S. Navy order.
Background
The Pettengill action was patented by Charles S. Pettengill in 1856 and improved by Edward A. Raymond and Charles Robitaille, who received a further patent in 1858. Production was carried out by Rogers, Spencer & Co. at Willow Vale, New York. The Navy Model, chambered for a small .34 caliber ball, was the lightest of the Pettengill line and is the rarest variant encountered today.