Rogers And Spencer Revolvers

Joined
May 1, 2015
Location
Upstate N.Y.
In late 1864 the Rogers and Spencer .44 cal. was offered as a better version of the Pettengill. The government agreed to an order of 5000 pieces in late November with deliveries of inspected revolvers by RPB Robert P. Beals, of 500 per month starting in January, 1865. All 10 months of deliveries were completed. Since the need for the revolvers had become History. They were never issued, but went into storage. So approx 2000 were delivered to the government before the end of hostilities in April, 1865. Many feel not a Civil War firearm, but 2000 were delivered during the war. They were manufactured in Utica, New York. The revolver itself was a substantial firearm. The only distraction being whatever process they used for blueing did not hold up very well. This is my Serial #1425 , all matching through out and would have been delivered in March, 1865. Permission to use these photos has been received from J&J Military from whom I purchased it.

Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #7a.jpg


Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #12a.jpg


Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #13a.jpg


Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #8a.jpg


Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #9a.jpg


Rogers & Spencer Ser.#1425  #10a.jpg


Pettingill Rogers Spencer Revolver Combination Tool #2.png
 
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Very Nice R&S, especially with the wrench. Thanks for sharing it with us.
 
Really nice R&S and combination screwdriver/nipple wrench. RPB was Captain Robert P Barry. I have two R&S's from the January 1865 delivery, s/n 57 and s/n 264. #57 may be a trials gun as it has a factory 9.25 inch barrel and slightly longer loading lever than the standard Rogers & Spencer revolver.
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Hi Mark, Thanks. With regard to the script RPB cartouce, The older ID by Kuhn over the years was to Capt. Barry, but in the 2016 "U.S. Military Arms Inspector Marks" by Anthony C. Daum and Charles W. Pate it stands for Robert P. Beals a civilian inspector. He also inspected with this version of his cartouche on Remington M1871 NYS Militia rifles. There are four other versions, some script and some block letters, of his cartouche. One version on Springfield M1847, a second version on Watertown M1861 & Springfield M1863 type2, a third version on Smith Carbines and a forth on Providence Tool M1861 Cavalry Saber, plus the script version on the Rogers and Spencer.
Capt. Robert P. Barry- He was Colunbia Colledge graduate in class of 1860, Enlisted as a private in the 7th NY Militia in April 1861. He accepted a Captain commission in May of 1961 in the 16th Infantry. He was given a Brevet Major promotion in December 1862 for gallant and meritorious servious at Battle of Murfreesboro. He resigned his commission on Sept. 30, 1864. At that point with no experience in ordinance while in the military it becomes highly unlikely as a college graduate that he would seek a job as arms inspector. Couple that with the dates of the other arms he was suppose to have inspected and believe it to have been a mistaken ID that had never been researched.
Do yours have a shield/ crest stamping toward front end of trigger guard?
 
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I'll yield to Pate's research on military inspector marks although my source isn't Kuhn it's DeMarco.

My gun #57 has a faint shield stamped in front of the trigger guard. Gun #264 has an X. My Pettengill Army has a cross.
 
I'll yield to Pate's research on military inspector marks although my source isn't Kuhn it's DeMarco.

My gun #57 has a faint shield stamped in front of the trigger guard. Gun #264 has an X. My Pettengill Army has a cross.
Sounds like with that many varieties they are probably internal factory inspectors or assembly markings. Pate gave a lot of info on Barry with his service record. Barry is not included in the book as an inspector for any manufacture.
 
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