Savage-North Navy
Savage Revolving Firearms Company · Revolver · Discontinued · 1861
Also known as: Savage 1861 Navy, Savage Navy, Savage & North Percussion Revolver, Savage-North 1861
Overview
The Savage-North Navy is a .36 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver produced by the Savage Revolving Firearms Company of Middletown, Connecticut from 1861 to 1862. Designed by Henry S. North and Edward Savage, it is notable for its unusual two-trigger mechanism: a large lower ring lever rotated the six-shot cylinder and cocked the hammer in one motion, while the conventional upper trigger released it to fire. This self-cocking arrangement made it an early step toward the double-action revolver. The U.S. government purchased some 12,000 examples, including 1,126 taken by the Navy, making it a widely issued Union cavalry sidearm of the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1531 g (54.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 368 mm (14.49") |
| Barrel Length | 181 mm (7.13") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 229 m/s (751 fps) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| 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
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Ring Lever Cocking, Two Trigger Mechanism, Six Shot Cylinder, Single Action And Self Cocking
Service history
Operators
- United States Navy · adopted 1861 · as Savage Navy
- United States Army · adopted 1861
- Confederate States Army · adopted 1861
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 20,000 · Production years: 1861-1862
U.S. government purchased about 12,000, including 1,126 for the U.S. Navy at roughly $20 each.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Henry S. North and Edward Savage
Discontinued: 1862
Notes
Roughly 20,000 were produced in total. The earlier Savage 1859 'Figure Eight' was its visually distinctive predecessor. The Navy contracted its examples at about $20 each.
Background
Often called one of the ugliest revolvers of the Civil War, the Savage Navy's ring-lever 'figure eight' action was mechanically ahead of its time, anticipating the double-action revolvers that would dominate decades later.