Best Confederate Made Revolver

I took a quick look through my notes but couldn't find a set of notes from some letters from IIRC an Illinois or Wisconsin Cav unit that had been issued them along with Merrill Carbines. Several companies had the carbines and the rest either the Lefaucheux, Starr or Savage pistols and a sabre. Those boys certainly prefered those pinfires to either the Savage, Starr pistol or the sabre. I seem to remember the author comparing them favorably to the Colt as well! But I may have my pistols and letters crossed.

As to Stonewall, I think he was presented one that had been pretty nicely engraved after the Valley.
I think your right there, Johan, 12,000 Modelle 1858 Lefaucheux pinfires were purchased by the Federal Government, and for some reason, that I cant recall right now, I seem to remember somewhere that Jackson had one
 
No, it was a very distinctive ammo that was useful only in that arm. I've handled a few originals with the ammo seperately. While it seems fragile it apparently wasn't that bad. Though the manufacture was instantly eclipsed by the development of rimfire and later center fire cartridge. I've seen 2-3 that had been converted to centerfire after the war. It was a handy pistol that was quite popular in Europe the metallic cartridge made it fairly imprevious to moisture damage. They gave good service wherever they were used.

The one pistol that is really rather unkown among Living Historians/re-enactors is the Kerr, I don't know if there is a title on that pistol but it was a pistol equal to anything else in the field and there really isn't that much known about it. It was the most common CS import and was well liked by those that carried it. I've seen a couple wildly disparate numbers for those imported. I think the 10k number is probably the low end. It's the most underepresented arm in re-enacting simply because there is no repro of it.
Too difficult to resupply with ammo?
 
I think if I was portraying a pistol armed CS Cav trooper I might be more likely to choose one of the British imported pistols.

The Tranter is interesting because it was the first pistol adpated to a metalic cartridge by the Brits in 63 though none of those rimfire models made it across the pond till after the war. It was rather popular w/ those it was issued but I don't think all that many made it into the hands of CS soldiers. I've seen a couple original ACW era Tranter go for the $1500 range.

The Kerr will go for about the same price range today but I like the lines and feel it a more representative arm of the CS Cav.

I have to also admit to a liking for the Adams, it's an attractive arm and not that difficult to find affordable originals, I've seen them go for under $1000 but have never had the coin for one.

That said pistols just aren't my thing.

The Adams, Kerr & Tranter were all quite serviceable and very well built arms. While the Kerr was certainly the most common the Adams & Tranter each certainly had their following. IIRC Stuart carried a Tranter as his sidearm.

If I was doing CS Cav I think I would likely carry a Kerr or the less common Adams.
 
The Kerr is a cool revolver, even if it looks like what it is, a cross between a muzzleloader and a sixgun. They look to be mighty robust.
 
Specking of pin fire a really good friend of mine has two really old pin fire had I think was in the civil war. He is the reason I am in the civil war history now. One of the pin fire pistol has been change to take center fire and the barrel has swelled on it. I just remember him showing them to me
 
T W Cofer Confederate patent #9

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Revolvers made in the Confederacy, however not on military contract

Revolver Cofer
THOMAS W. COFER
Thomas W. Cofer was a gunmaker in the city of Portsmouth, Virginia. He was born in Smithfield, in the same state, on March 22nd, 1826. He established himself a gunmaker at a quite young age and founded a company together with his cousin P.D. Gwaltney, himself a gunmaker in Norfolk, Virginia.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the company is known by the name T.W. Cofer & Co of Portsmouth.
The remaining Confederate archives mention that on August 12, 1861, the Confederate Patent Office granted Cofer patent n° 9 (one of the first patents delivered by the Confederate States of America) covering a revolver that could be used not only as a conventional percussion arm but as a metallic cartridge gun as well, by using a specially designed two-pieces cylinder.
Very few Cofer cartridge revolvers made upon that patent have survived. Most of the remaining pieces are standard caps&ball revolvers.
Until recently it was generally believed that since Cofer never had any contract from the Confederate Army, his whole production was sold on the civilian market.
However according to recent discoveries in the Confederate achives, Cofer has at least received and achieved one order from the Southern Government for 82 revolvers, which were all issued to the 5th VA Cavalry Rgt.
Of course, a number of Confederate officers and soldiers of other regiments bought probably Cofer revolvers at their own expenses, which explains the presence
of these guns on the battlefields.
THE COFER REVOLVER
The general shape of the gun is based on the Whitney pattern, except for the spur trigger. It is a .36 caliber revolver featuring a plain bright brass frame and a blued steel barrel and cylinder. The barrel is octagonal on its full length and the cylinder has six chambers. The guns are not serial numbered; the figures or letters that appear on various places are probably shop or mounting marks. There are some minor variations.
The maker's name "T.W. COFER'S PATENT" is stamped in 2 lines on the topstrap, while the mention "PORTSMOUTH, VA" appears on top of the barrel. Those markings were stamped with individual die stamps for each letter.
Only 13 Cofer revolvers are known in existence today and little is known about them, which renders any attempt to determine the total production purely speculative.
They are among the most sought after Confederate guns. They are very rarely offered for sale but when they do, their prices always reach higher levels than any other Confederate gun.
The Cofer revolvers are equipped either with a conventional percussion cylinder or a 2-pieces bored through one. The 2-piece construction of these bored-through cylinders clearly indicate they are transformed percussion cylinders. Only one revolver has been found equipped with a bored-through cylinder in one piece. On basis of that unique specimen, it is impossible to establish wether it was a prototype or an upgrade during production.
Of course those bored-through cylinders infringed on the Rollin White patent; but to the Confederates, that was the less of their concerns.
Cofer also created specific metallic cartridges for his revolvers; the first type had a protruding nipple at its back and proved dangerous when dropped or hit while a cap was on the nipple. So the maker changed the shape of the cartridge making its back hollow like a cup, with the nipple now protected by the sides of the shell.
Marcel
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