Ebanezer Townsend Starr of Yonkers, New York patented and manufactured 3 types of percussion revolvers that were purchased by the United States Government starting in 1861 and ending in 1864. The first, and by far the rarest of these revolvers was the Model 1858 Double Action .36 caliber Percussion Navy Revolver. Starr produced, at his Binghamton, New York factory, 3,000 of this model between 1859 and 1860. One hundred were ordered by the Navy Department in October, 1861, but were rejected and returned to Starr. However, the Ordnance Department purchased 1,402 before January of 1862, 1,000 of which were delivered in 1861. Roughly another 1,000 were delivered throughout the early months of 1862; for a total of 2,250. The Starr Navy was supplanted by the .44 caliber Starr "Army" revolver, which was ultimately much more successful with 20,000 purchased by the Federal Government during the war. This has led to the Starr Navy revolver to be highly sought after by collectors, as it represents less than 10% of the company's overall production.
This original Starr Navy .36 caliber Double Action Army revolver is in good, shootable condition.. More importantly, however, this is one of the few original Double Action Starrs that still works! That's right, this Starr functions perfectly on both single action and double action. Internally, the bore and chambers are in very good condition with minimal pitting and great rifling. The lock up is nice and tight with minimal cylinder wobble.
Externally, this revolver displays a good honest patina. Uncleaned and unmolested, much of the original bluing is still visible in the protected areas. All manufacturer's stamps on martial markings are crisp and legible. The grips are solid and in good shape with a no cracks or chips.
This fantastic revolver is a great collector's item.
