black powder revolver
i have a freind that has this black powder revolver on his wall and all it says on it is E.WHITNEY N Haven and i did research on eli whitney and found out that he did make guns for the goverment and that the plant was near new haven connecticut but i can not find out any more than that if anyone knows anything please tell me.
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Hey there,
I just got a 44 cal. black powder revolver and i need some help.I cant find anywhere on anything that came with it wether it takes no.10 or no.11 primers....whats the diff.???Also it came with a capper but(i tried the no.11)they will not fit out the end of the capper....are they to big or is the capper deformed....im cheap i didnt want to waste $5 on no.10 primers if there not gonna work either.
All help is appreciated,thx
Brian
"Meine Ehre heisst Treue"0 -
From, "Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms," by Norm Flayderman:
"Eli Whitney Sr. (1765-1824) achieved fame at an early age with his invention of the cotton gin in 1793. . . Based upon his reputation and character, Whitney was able to obtain in 1798 a large contract for 10,000 stand of arms from the U.S. Government.
"Presiding over his New Haven (Conn.) factories, Whitney continued producing guns for various government contracts until his death in 1825.
"Prior to his death, Whitney entered into contract with his two nephews, Philos and Eli Whitney Blake, to manage the operation of his gun factory as his son, Eli Whitney Jr., was still a minor."
Eli Whitney Jr. took the management reins in 1842.
Junior continued with the manufacture of contract flintlock muskets for the U.S. government and also large quantity contracts for the Model 1841 percussion rifle.
"With the advancement of age and the diminishing sales his products, Eli Whitney Jr. began searching for a buyer for his company. His son, Eli Whitney III, apparently played no active role with the firm.
"Severe business reverses by 1888 proved too late to save the Whitney Arms Company and a sale was negotiated with Winchester Repeating Arms Company which aquired the properties, assets and equipment of Whitney in 1888.
"The Whitney factory was immediately closed and the property operated under lease by Winchester until 1903 at which time it was sold to the New Haven Water Company. Winchester moved machinery and tools to its main plant in New Haven following their purchase and the entire Whitney firearms line was withdrawn from the market.
"So ended some 90 years of manufacture in the firearms field under the famous name of Whitney."
Whitney manufactured a wide variety of arms during those 90 years: muzzleloading muskets, simple single-shot rifles, a lever-action repeating rifle, double-barreled shotguns, percussion revolvers and cartridge revolvers.
Whitney revolvers range from full-sized, intended for military use (the New Model percussion revolver in .36 caliber was popular in the Civil War and was an early competitor to the Colt Navy) to small pocket pistols firing rimfire cartridges of .22, .32 and .38 caliber.
Whitney's cap and ball revolvers were made from the 1850s to the early 1860s.
His breechloading revolvers, which used rimfire cartridges, were last made about 1879. Most of his breechloading revolvers will be found to be nickel-plated, or a nickel-plated frame with blued cylinder.
It is also known that Whitney Arms manufactured a copy of the Colt 1851 Navy percussion revolver. It is estimated that only 300 to 400 of this Colt copy were made. They may have been sold to Mexico, through a Texas agent. Such a revolver would be eagerly sought by collectors and probably fetch a few thousand dollars if in excellent condition.
Because of the variety of revolvers made, it is impossible to say what revolver your friend has, or its value.
The pocket revolvers typically bring $100 or less in very good condition, from what I've seen at gun shows. An example in excellent condition might bring $200, I guess, solely because of condition.
Most of the pocket guns carried in the 19th and early 20th century saw hard use. Comparatively few survived in excellent condition.
If you can, post a photo of your friend's revolver for more positive identification. Also note barrel length, all markings, caliber, finish (nickel or blue), grip composition (wood or rubber) and any other identifying aspects.
Interestingly, Eli Whitney Sr. is also known for telling his wife, "Keep your hands off my cotton-pickin' gin!"
(With apologies to Dean Martin, from whom I heard this bad joke many years ago).
"A hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a .44!"0
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