Gary Reeder
Found a revolver you black powder fans might be
Sunday, July 16, 2023, 17:16

interested in. It is an 1857 E. Whitney 36 caliber revolver. In one of our estate sales we found a coffee can full of gun parts. They had been wrapped in news paper and they were covered in rust. We cleaned the gun off, reblued it and put it together. Here is the gun...





The info I found on the internet said this was the first solid frame revolver in the Civil War around 1857. The old gentleman that owned it had buffed all the writing off the gun. Under a glass you can see "Whit" on top of the barrel. Everything else has been buffed off. The gun is in very good condition and very tight, locking up tighter than most new BP revolvers. Since I took those pictures the frame has turned a plum color with the rest of it a shiny black as shown in the pics. In the pic below the Whitney is in the middle and you can see the plum color on the frame and that spec on the barrel is not there, apparently it is a bit of dust or something.

As I mentioned above the gun is in very good condition, especially for being over 160 years old. There are a few tiny pits here and there but all in all it is in really good condition. I am not a BP shooter but I wouldn't be afraid of shooting this jewel. Along with the gun was a new looking flap holster with the name Joseph L. Ferrell U.S.N. Whether this has any bearing on this gun I have no idea but it goes with the gun. If you like the idea of shooting a gun once owned and used in the Civil War by a Union Navy officer then it can be yours. I found 2 Whitneys on the internet, both with no finish at all and a bit rough all over. Both were priced well over $1200. If you are interested in this bit of civil war history I have it priced at $650 plus shipping and the holster goes with it. Any piece of Civil War history is worth that. If you are interested in this bit of history, post it on here and call me at the shop tomorrow. 928-527-4100. I will be there 9:30 to 6PM (west coast time).