When the Civil War broke out in 1861, neither the North nor the South was prepared to engage in a major war. Decades of relative peace had left limited stockpiles of small arms--the rifles and handguns carried by individual soldiers. As tens of thousands of men volunteered to fight alongside their friends and neighbors, those arms stockpiles were quickly exhausted.

During the Civil War pistols of all shapes, sizes, and calibers were used by Union and Confederate soldiers, especially the officers and the cavalry. They were especially effective during close-in fighting. The most popular handguns were those made by American manufacturers Colt and Remington.