Navy Whitney Navy

[scooter748driver]

Ran across this guy the other day and, after some research, decided to purchase it. Got it for not much more than my first Whitney Navy. However, this "Navy" was acquired by the Navy during the Civil War.

From what I understand, the USN purchased about 6200 Whitney Navy revolvers during the war. Many (most?) were marked minimally. An 1864 Bureau of Ordnance (the Navy equivalent of the Army's Ordnance Department) memo directed that pistols be marked with the initials of the inspector and a P proof mark on the cylinder and an anchor on the top of the barrel near the frame.

While it might not be "rare", the Navy Whitney Navy's are less common that their Army or non-martial counterparts. I wasn't looking for this pistol, but thanks to some earlier research I was fortunate to recognize this pistol and add it to my collection.

Here are a few pics of my most recent purchase:

left side; trigger screw head is broken but pistol functions perfectly

right side

Not ALL the serial numbers pictured, but everything matches - barrel, loading lever, frame, trigger guard, both grips, and cylinder. This is a 2nd Model, 4th variant pistol made in 1864. It is 2 digits away from one of the recorded pistols tested at the Washington Navy Yard in December 1864.

The cylinder scene is faint & hard to see, but has the Lion, Eagle & Shield on one side and the Naval battle with ships, fort & monitor ironclad on the other.

Cylinder marked with the P proof mark and the initials of the inspector per 1864 Bureau of Ordnance regulations

And the anchor applied per the 1864 regulations

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

Very nice shape for a Whitney that's seen use. The scenes rolled onto the cylinders were shallow, and mostly gone.
I've got Whitney serial 26189, only 4 numbers away from yours, and it also has the Naval Inspection marks. The inspector of mine was "J.R.G."
That order for inspection markings was dated August 29, 1864, (and it covered all arms, even cutlasses and muskets and carbines as well as pistols and revolvers) and our Whitney revolvers were later than that, so they would have had this initial inspection when accepted by the Navy.
I believe that arms not already so inspected were examined after the War, and the ones found to be in good order and usable were marked with an anchor, but were not necessarily proof fired with heavy loads, as were the ones marked with the P over the initials of the person testing them.

 

[Bonedaddy]

Great look to that Whitney. I like it. Thanks for showing.

 

[UCVRelics]

Very Nice Whitney. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[gjpratt]

Nice brace of Whitneys.

 

[Michael W.]

Nice Navy issued Whitney...