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Antique Prototype Alsop / Savage & North .36 Percussion Revolver
Guns International #: 102394615 Seller's Inventory #:
Category: Antique Revolvers - Percussion - Savage Pistols
Seller's Information
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Seller: tolinv
Member Since: 9/21/15
First Name: Bill
State: Ohio
Country: United States
Seller: Private Seller
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: USPS Money Order
Description:
Antique Prototype Savage & North .36 Navy Percussion Revolver
An excellent opportunity to own the only Savage Navy like this. I have had a number of Savage Navy black powder pistols over the years, but this is the only prototype Savage Navy I have ever seen or even heard of. This is a .36 caliber prototype of an extensive redesign of the 1860 Savage Navy Percussion Revolver. It is a single action pistol and has no 'Ring Trigger', but was designed to be cocked with the thumb. On the outside it looks similar to a conventional Savage Navy, and retains the heart shaped finger guard, but the cylinder and internals are quite different.
Approximately 11,000 Savage Navys that cocked with a 'Ring Trigger’ were sold to Union forces in 1861 and 1862. Another ten thousand were sold to civilians, most of whom sold them to the Confederates. These were manufactured under the patent of Henry North of North & Savage in Middletown, Connecticut. A local resident, Charles R. Alsop, along with two other members of the Alsop family, sat on the Board of Directors of Savage, and held firearms parents of their own. They had produced their own patented design single action spur trigger percussion pistols in the same time period, which bore visual resemblance to the Savage Navy. Their design, made in a six shot .36 model, and a smaller frame five shot .31 model, bore resemblance to the Savage & North pistol, but never achieved any real popularity, with only a few hundred being made during the Civil War.
The prototype revolver in this posting was a major departure from the Savage Navy having extensive internal differences, including a different lock-up. It also did not incorporate the rearward moving cylinder of the Savage Navy, which was designed to move back and then come forward when cocked. This was a notable part of the Henry North patent for the Savage Navy, but is conspicuously absent in this prototype where the cylinder does not move back and forward.
A notable design feature of this prototype pistol is the distinctive long, laid back hammer spur which is not found on Savage pistols but is present on Alsop revolvers.
Although Savage had already received production contracts, it is possible that Henry North made this prototype in an attempt to attract new sales. Since the Alsop company had no Military contracts, it may be that Charles Alsop created this prototype in hopes of selling it to the government. Frankly, it is much easier to cock and fire this prototype than it is to fire a regular Savage Navy and the Alsop mechanical design was considered by many to be a more refined pistol than the Savage. But the military preferred .44 caliber and it was too late to introduce another quite expensive .36 pistol to the war effort.
The frame itself of this gun has no serial numbers, and does not have the Savage name and address on it. The side plate is from Savage and has a low four digit serial number on it. Both grips have #1 written in pencil on the inside. There are certain milling marks on the frame, especially notable being the groove where the cylinder stop would mount just beneath the cylinder on the Ring Trigger, but is not present on the prototype as the lock up system is entirely different on the prototype. The cylinder is substantially different as well, as it is held against the recoil plate with screws. The barrel is 7” long, not 7 1/8”. It indexes and locks up well, and it obviously saw a good deal of Civil War usage. This is an exceptionally interesting and extremely rare piece of firearms history from the Civil War. An excellent one if a kind pistol.
The pistol on top in the photo is a conventional Savage & North Navy Ring Trigger and is shown only for comparison with the prototype pistol below it. Please note: the prototype is not missing a screw on the left side plate. The screw hole on the plate is not needed for a screw because of different internals. It should be noted that the Alsop pistols only needed a single side plate screw and not two like the Savage.
Please consult the photographs. The pistol has a mottled gray finish that appears to be original. Nipples are all in excellent condition and the revolver indexes well. Sold as an collector's item only and not for firing. Ships direct to buyer who lives where this pistol is legal to receive and possess. No FFL required. Please call with any questions or comments. Thank you.
SOLD
Antique: Yes