Confederate Revolver, USA 1860

Description of the Product

This Griswold & Gunnison revolver is practically a copy of the Colt 1851 Navy revolver, with minor differences. This six-shot detonator-cap revolver fired medium-heavy .36 caliber bullets. These revolvers were used in all major battles during the U.S. Civil War and their use naturally continued after the war.

Samuel Griswold founded many companies in various industries and ran his thriving industrial village of Griswoldville in Georgia in the early 1860s. When the Civil War began, he wanted to play his part in the war effort and began making revolvers in 1862. Arvin Gunnison, a small-scale revolver manufacturer from New Orleans, became his partner in the revolver business. Together, Griswold & Gunnison ran the best weapons factory in the southern states in Georgia. The South did not have much of a developed industry, unlike the North, so the Griswold & Gunnison plant was the most significant manufacturer of uniform and reliable weapons in the South during the Civil War. All the other revolver manufacturers on the Confederate side were either unlucky, incompetent, or both, and their quality ranged from weak to poor. The manufacture of these revolvers ceased in 1864, shortly before the end of the Civil War, when the Union Army invaded Griswoldville and destroyed the factory.

Since steel was not readily available in the resource-poor South, Griswold & Gunnison decided to make their revolvers entirely of iron, which is significantly softer than steel. Usually the more durable steel is used in gun manufacture, so an iron revolver was a real rarity.

Such a caplocked revolver was loaded by raising the gun upright, the barrel facing up, and pouring black powder into the bottom of the cartridge case as a first step. Next, a lead ball or bullet precisely the size of the cartridge case and barrel was placed at the mouth of the cartridge case. The revolver itself has a built-in metal charging stick mechanism that allowed the lead ball to be pressed tightly into the cartridge case on top of the powder. Finally, a separate detonator was placed on the other side of the cartridge case. These steps were repeated for each of the six cartridge cases on the revolver roll. Then, when firing a gun, the striker hit a detonator, the detonator ignited and at the same time ignited the powder in the cartridge case. The combustion gases from the gunpowder then accelerated the lead ball / bullet to a fast flight.

If you want to stage a more authentic situation, for example on a theater stage, you can use normal plastic detonator caps, familiar from cap guns. When the trigger is pulled, the striker strikes the cap and you get a small bang and puff of smoke.

• This gun is an exact replica of the original. The replica matches the original in size and weight, and the mechanisms of the weapon are working. The weapon can be cocked and dry fired like a real one, and the cylinder can be ejected. Due to the materials used, the mechanisms cannot withstand continuous cocking and firing for long periods.
• Cast metal has been used to make this replica weapon. The handle plates are syntehtic wood imitation. Zamac differs from steel in many respects, so the structure of the gun does not withstand pressure, it cannot be used to fire bullets, nor can it be converted to a functional weapon by any means.
• The metal parts are treated to a patina, making it look like it’s seen some action.
• Replica guns such as this do not require permits in Finland, nor in many other countries. However, since the gun looks real, it should not be carried in public.
• A replica gun is perfect for historical re-enactment, on a theater stage, in film productions, for collectors of historical memorabilia, and as decoration.
• Length: 35 cm
• Weight: 1022 g
• Manufacturer: Denix, Spain

Due to the nature of this item please read about shipping options/restrictions if ordering outside Finland.   –More information about international shipping-