Texas Johnny
Corporal
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Location
- Texas
With Smith & Wesson being the leader in the commercial development of rimfire cartridge technology before the Civil War, I have wanted to own a period Smith & Wesson firearm for a long time and recently I was able to acquire a Model Number 2 Old Model also known as the Model 2 Army. Although no sales were made by Smith & Wesson to the U.S. government (the State of Kentucky did purchase 730 of these revolvers for the 7th Kentucky Cavalry, U.S.) the Model 2 Army was still a very popular firearm and was sold to civilians and directly to soldiers during the Civil War.
I was finally able to find one in very good condition at a price I thought competitive when I compared it to other Model 2 Army revolvers for sale. The one I purchased also has a low serial number putting the manufacturing date around 1862.
The Model 2 Army is a takeoff of the Model 1 but fires a .32 caliber rimfire cartridge versus the Model 1 which fires a .22 caliber rimfire cartridge. My guess is that with war clouds looming Smith & Wesson figured they needed a revolver with a little more firepower than the .22. The Model 2 Army is a is a single action tip-up revolver with either a five or six-inch octagonal barrel and a six shot non-fluted cylinder. Like the Model 1 the Model 2 Army has a "spur" trigger, which comes directly from the bottom of the frame, and it does not have a trigger guard.
The action on my Model 2 Army is excellent. It has the original grips which are very good. The six-inch barrel has the Smith & Wesson address markings along with a rib running along the top. Engraved on the butt is the serial number, as well as some initials, "WSK" but they are not done in a very professional manner. The cylinder still has the patent date markings, although somewhat faded.
I find it an interesting handgun with the "tip-up" approach to loading. This approach has the barrel jointed to the frame at the front of the top strap and held at the bottom by a spring latch which releases when upwards pressure is exerted. When released the barrel is pivoted up exposing the cylinder which then may be removed for loading. To expel spend rimfire cartridge cases the Model 2 Army has a rammer pin under the barrel to use to push the spent cartridge out of the cylinder.
Smith & Wesson, based on serial numbers, sold somewhere between 29,359 (1864 cutoff date) and 48,475 (1865 cutoff date). Notables who carried the Model 2 Army during the war include George Armstrong Custer, who had a pair of Model 2 Army revolvers and Rutherford B. Hayes, future U.S. President. Post war it was the preferred revolver for "Wild Bill" Hickok, in fact he was carrying a Model 2 Army the night he was shot in the back of the head and killed in 1874. Production of the Model 2 Army continued beyond the Civil War until 1874 with a total of 77,155 being manufactured.
I was finally able to find one in very good condition at a price I thought competitive when I compared it to other Model 2 Army revolvers for sale. The one I purchased also has a low serial number putting the manufacturing date around 1862.
The Model 2 Army is a takeoff of the Model 1 but fires a .32 caliber rimfire cartridge versus the Model 1 which fires a .22 caliber rimfire cartridge. My guess is that with war clouds looming Smith & Wesson figured they needed a revolver with a little more firepower than the .22. The Model 2 Army is a is a single action tip-up revolver with either a five or six-inch octagonal barrel and a six shot non-fluted cylinder. Like the Model 1 the Model 2 Army has a "spur" trigger, which comes directly from the bottom of the frame, and it does not have a trigger guard.
The action on my Model 2 Army is excellent. It has the original grips which are very good. The six-inch barrel has the Smith & Wesson address markings along with a rib running along the top. Engraved on the butt is the serial number, as well as some initials, "WSK" but they are not done in a very professional manner. The cylinder still has the patent date markings, although somewhat faded.
I find it an interesting handgun with the "tip-up" approach to loading. This approach has the barrel jointed to the frame at the front of the top strap and held at the bottom by a spring latch which releases when upwards pressure is exerted. When released the barrel is pivoted up exposing the cylinder which then may be removed for loading. To expel spend rimfire cartridge cases the Model 2 Army has a rammer pin under the barrel to use to push the spent cartridge out of the cylinder.
Smith & Wesson, based on serial numbers, sold somewhere between 29,359 (1864 cutoff date) and 48,475 (1865 cutoff date). Notables who carried the Model 2 Army during the war include George Armstrong Custer, who had a pair of Model 2 Army revolvers and Rutherford B. Hayes, future U.S. President. Post war it was the preferred revolver for "Wild Bill" Hickok, in fact he was carrying a Model 2 Army the night he was shot in the back of the head and killed in 1874. Production of the Model 2 Army continued beyond the Civil War until 1874 with a total of 77,155 being manufactured.
Bringing the