Starr Model 1858 Army
Starr Arms Company · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1858
Also known as: Starr Army Model 1858, Starr 1858 Double Action Army, Starr DA Army
Overview
The Starr Model 1858 Army is a six-shot, .44 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver designed by Ebenezer Townsend Starr and produced by the Starr Arms Company of New York during the American Civil War. Unusually for the period, it used a double-action lockwork: a long pull on the large outer trigger cocked and rotated the cylinder while a small recessed inner trigger released the sear. Built on a two-piece hinged frame that swung open for rapid cylinder removal, it served the Union Army as the third most widely issued revolver of the war behind the Colt and Remington designs.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1300 g (45.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 321 mm (12.64") |
| Barrel Length | 152 mm (5.98") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 221 m/s (725 fps) |
| Effective Range | 45 m (49 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Caliber Cap & Ball · primary — also known as .44 Black Powder, .44 Percussion
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cylinder
- Features: Cap And Ball Percussion, Loading Lever, Two Piece Hinged Frame, Double Action Lockwork
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · adopted 1862
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 23,000 · Production years: 1858-1863
About 23,000 Model 1858 Army double-action revolvers produced; roughly 20,000 .44 caliber Army examples were purchased by Federal forces during the Civil War.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Ebenezer Townsend Starr
Discontinued: 1863
Notes
Fires a loose .451-bore lead ball seated over a black-powder charge and ignited by a No. 11 percussion cap, so it is not a fixed-cartridge arm and cartridge case dimensions are left null. The 1858 Army carried a 6-inch round barrel. Its relatively complex and costly double-action mechanism led the Ordnance Department to push for the simplified single-action Model 1863, which superseded it.
Background
Starr's double-action Model 1858 was an early attempt to bring a self-cocking action to a U.S. military sidearm, but its intricate mechanism made it expensive to build. The Ordnance Department preferred a cheaper, simpler arm, prompting Starr to develop the single-action Model 1863, an early example of military procurement choosing cost over a more advanced feature.