Guns International #: 101278877
Seller's Inventory #: 190488

Category - Civil War Revolvers - Antique Revolvers - Percussion

Category
Civil War Revolvers
Antique Revolvers - Percussion

RARE Eli Whitney “ROOT” .28 Caliber Pocket Revolver Est. 2,000 Manufactured at Whitneyville Armory!

Description:
RARE Eli Whitney “ROOT” .28 Caliber Pocket Revolver

Est. 2,000 Manufactured at Whitneyville Armory!

Here we present an antique Whitney “New Model” Percussion Pocket Revolver in .28 Caliber, made circa 1860s in New Haven, Connecticut. Less than 2,000 of these revolvers are estimated to have been manufactured in the 1860s. They are known to have been advertised at least as early as 1860 and likely designed specifically to compete with Colt's Model 1855 "Root" revolvers given it has many similarities. Given that, this is sometimes also known as the "Root Type Pocket Model." It has a small cone front sight and "E. WHITNEY/N. HAVEN" on top of the barrel and a roll engraved cylinder scene with the same lion, eagle and patriotic motifs as seen on the larger revolvers. Like those larger revolvers, the scene was lightly rolled and it is a rare thing to see them at all. An interesting little detail is the additional turned down contour at the muzzle. This is a classy little Civil War-era pocket revolver!

Eli Whitney Sr. established his Whitneyville Armory in1798 and produced firearms (among other things) by contract for the young U.S. government. Just prior to this, in 1793, Whitney invented the mechanical cotton gin, which dramatically changed the economic landscape in the U.S., namely in the South. While his invention was a labor-saving device, making the processing of harvested cotton extremely efficient and requiring fewer laborers, his machine caused the market for cotton to explode and more laborers were needed to plant, grow and harvest the crop. This resulted in a corresponding boom in the Southern slave trade. Great fortunes were created, and the population of the South became such that one in three Southerners were slaves. All this provided the fuel that would become the raze that was the American Civil War.

Eli Whitney died in 1825, and his son, Eli Whitney Jr., began running the family business in 1841. Whitney Jr. seized the opportunity in 1847 to manufacture 1,000 of Samuel Colt’s latest revolver the Colt Walker revolver. Production of this revolver helped both parties immensely as it kept Colt in business and it allowed Whitney Jr. to tool up and gain experience making revolvers. With the expiration of Colt’s patents in 1857, Whitney began production of percussion revolvers based on Colt’s patents, some of them very closely copied.

The overall condition is near fine. 15% of the original blue finish remains. The remainder of the gun bears a gray patina. The markings are clear. The cylinder scene is still partly visible. The walnut grips are in great shape. The bore is clean with nice rifling. The action is excellent. Here is a true rarity from Whitneyville!

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 3-1/2 inches.

Caliber: .28 percussion

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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ancestryguns

$1585

#190488

SOLD

Antique: Yes