Whitney Navy Revolver
Whitney Arms Company · Revolver · Out Of Production · 1858
Also known as: Whitney Model 1858 Navy, Whitney Model 1861 Navy, Eli Whitney Navy
Overview
The Whitney Navy Revolver is a .36-caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver designed by Eli Whitney Jr., son of the cotton-gin inventor, and built at the Whitneyville Armory in Connecticut. It was one of the first practical solid-frame revolvers, a design notably stiffer and stronger than the open-top Colt revolvers of the same period. Roughly 33,000 were produced, making it a major Union sidearm during the American Civil War and a direct commercial rival to Colt and Remington.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1100 g (38.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 330 mm (12.99") |
| Barrel Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Effective Range | 12 m (13 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .36 caliber Navy, .375 ball
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Revolver Cylinder, Percussion Cap
- Features: Solid Frame, Cap And Ball Percussion, Loading Lever, Octagonal Barrel
Service history
Operators
- Union Army · adopted 1862
- United States Navy · adopted 1863
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 33,000 · Production years: 1858-1865
Roughly 33,000-35,500 total: about 1,500 First Model plus about 34,000 Second Model; U.S. Army contract delivered about 7,602 and the U.S. Navy took 6,226
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Eli Whitney Jr.
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Fires a loose .375-inch lead round ball over a black-powder charge ignited by a percussion cap; it is not a fixed-cartridge arm, so cartridge fields are left null. Weight is reported between roughly 1,100 g and 1,190 g and overall length between 330 mm and 343 mm depending on model and source.
Background
Whitney's solid-frame design was so sound that the Confederacy's best-known native revolver, the Spiller & Burr, was a near-identical copy of the Whitney Navy, with the steel frame replaced by a single brass casting.