This M1858 Double-Action Starr .44 revolver is complete, all original, and rates Very Good for condition, with about 30 percent finish, sharp lettering, numbering, and distinct inspector cartouches on either side of the lower grip. The serial number, 8648 (matching on frame and cylinder) places it likely in the August 1862 delivery of 1,200 pistols or the 1,300 delivered in November, based on the “purchase dates” for guns delivered on the company’s 12 June 1862 contract. This is confirmed by the use of pistol #9002 in a Navy test of the .44 Caliber Starr on March 18, 1863. That makes this a great mid-war cavalry pistol, in the field in time for the Gettysburg campaign and other major cavalry actions of the war.

The forward part of the barrel shows a pleasing plum brown transitioning into a thin blue near the frame. This is continued on the cylinder and the frame shows some thin blue mixing with plum and strong blue on the screws. The trigger shows some thin blue. The triggerguard is a thin brown, likely from holster wear. The grip and buttstraps show a thin brown over muted silver gray from handling, but the screws show strong blue. The grips have some scattered handling marks, light dings, and some wear around the lower edge, but fit well and have good cartouches and good color. All markings and lettering is sharp: Starr company address on the right frame and patent stamp on the left, along with the serial number on the cylinder and front of the frame, and small sub-inspector single-initial stamps.

The cylinder has a few small dings along the rear edge. The nipples are not battered, but the rear edge of the cylinder shows some small dings and the inner rear of the cylinder, only visible from behind, shows some crustiness and shallow pitting indicating the gun has been fired, and we can see a little peppering along the top of the frame. These are nice indicators the pistol was issued and did see some field service, corroborated by some wear to the grips and wear of the blue from the underside of the triggerguard from holstering and to the backstrap from handling. Nevertheless, the overall color is pleasing: Starr finish often shows an unpleasant flaking.

The Starr Arms Company in Binghamton, NY, was the third largest supplier of revolvers to the U.S government in the Civil War, delivering 16,100 of these .44 caliber double-action revolvers on contract from January 1862 to mid-1863, and another 4,950 in May 1864 on a separate purchase agreement, for a total of 21,050. Non-governmental sales are estimated at 2,000, for a total production run of about 23,000. Colt’s pricing practices had left a bad taste in the mouths of ordnance officers and Starr and Remington revolvers gained preference by 1864. Records do not always distinguish between these early double-action .44 caliber Starr revolvers and their later single-action pistols, but cavalry units known to have carried Starr revolvers include the 1^st NH; 7^th Michigan; 12^th NY; 2^nd Ohio; 1^st VT; 1^st MO; 8^th PA, 14^th PA; 13^th TN; 1^st WI; 8^th KY 1^st CO; 16^th IL; 2^nd IN; and others.  [sr] [ph:m/ L]

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