Smith & Wesson Seven Shot .32 Caliber Revolver Manufactured by Moore's Patent Firearms Company
Item #: AA4092
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This is a seven shot, .32 caliber rimfire Smith & Wesson revolver manufactured by the Moore's Patent Firearms Company during the Civil War period. Initially these revolvers were manufactured at Daniel Moore's Brooklyn, New York under his own company name. But due to a copy right infringement case brought by Smith & Wesson, which Moore lost, the barrel address was changed to reflect Smith & Wesson's ownership. It is estimated that between 6000 and 8000 of these seven shot, .32 caliber revolvers were produced between 1861 and 1863. These little 'belt pistols" were very popular with the Union soldiers, and were privately purchased by officers and enlisted men. This Moore's Patent Firearm Company Smith & Wesson revolver is in very good condition. The 5" octagonal barrel retains traces of the original bluing, mostly on the underneath and just forward of the cylinder. The exposed areas of the barrel show a smooth, steel gray patina. The cylinder retains none of the bluing, and has the same steel gray patina of the barrel. The bore shows good rifling with no pitting or rust, but it could use a good cleaning. The barrel is stamped with the desirable MANFd FOR SMITH & WESSON BY MOORE'S PAT. FIRE ARMS CO. and remains very legible. The serial number of 6977 is stamped on the bottom of the barrel. The cylinder is roll stamped with PATENTED APRIL 3 1855 & SEPT. 18, 1860, the patent dates for Rollin White's bored through cylinder design and Daniel Moore's design for the seven shot revolver. This unique design of the revolver required the hammer to be positioned at half cock, then pressing a small release button on the upper right of the recoil shield allowed the barrel and cylinder to pivot to the right about 25 degrees. This gave just enough room for the cylinder to be manually unloaded and loaded. The small ejector rod is still in place under the barrel. The brass frame and back strap were silver plated, and retain over 50% of the plating. The exposed brass has a beautiful muted golden patina. The simple floral engraving on the frame, recoil shield and back strap all have strong lines and add to the eye appeal of this revolver. The hammer retains the majority of the case colors and contrasts well with the silver plating and exposed brass. The mechanics of the revolver work perfectly, half cock allowing the cylinder to rotate freely and locking up perfectly in full cock. The one piece walnut grip is in very good condition, retaining nearly all of the original varnish. There are a couple of small bumps and dings from use, but cracks, chips, missing wood or repairs. Overall, this is an excellent example of a .32 caliber seven shot revolver that saw service during the Civil War, and would enhance any firearms collection.
Shipping Weight:
2 lbs
Your Price $1,950.00 USD
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