April 20, 2022
By Lauren Witt, Interdependence Public Relations
During the Civil War, Southern States faced a critical shortage of firearms and artillery. This created a wealth of opportunity for any Southern manufacturer who could produce guns using the limited materials available.
With smugglers and blockade runners unable to meet Confederate wartime demand, a number of small workshops, factories, and even individual gunsmiths throughout the South stepped up to the challenge. Some shortcuts were inevitable though, and one solution Confederate gun makers embraced was to ignore patent law and reproduce existing designs from Northern arms manufacturers.
Beyond the strict reproductions, Confederate revolvers have a distinct style and personality that’s immediately evident to any fan of antique wheelguns. Shortages of iron and graded steel led to brass pistol frames and other brass componentry. Smaller-scale manufacturing practices and rapid production often resulted in slight mechanical differences between guns of the same model.
Due to their history and extreme rarity, surviving Confederate revolvers are some of the most sought-after treasures in arms collecting today.
Some of the top, highly collectible Confederate Revolvers include:
The Griswold Revolver Dance & Brothers Revolver Augusta Machine Works Revolver Spiller & Burr Revolver The Leech and Rigdon Revolver Rigdon, Ansley and Company Revolver LeMat Revolvers Any Southern-made Confederate revolver is a true rarity today, and Rock Island Auction Company’s May 13-15 Premier Firearms Auction
Learn more about Confederate Revolvers: Wheelguns of the Rebellion
