Savage North 1861 Navy Revolver

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Specifications

Historical Summary

The Savage North 1861 Navy revolver is one of the more mechanically distinctive handguns of the American Civil War era. Manufactured by the Savage Revolving Fire-Arms Company of Norwich, Connecticut, it was produced in relatively limited numbers compared to contemporary Colt and Remington revolvers, yet it saw genuine wartime service with both U.S. and state forces.

Its most striking feature is the two-trigger system: a conventional rear trigger to release the hammer, and a large ring trigger ahead of it. Drawing the ring trigger rotates the cylinder forward, seals it against the barrel, and cocks the hammer, giving the design a proto double action character unlike any of its contemporaries. This made the Savage Navy mechanically complex, but also historically memorable as an experimental step in the evolution of repeating sidearms.

This particular revolver, serial number 7884, represents a solid surviving example of the type and now serves as a centerpiece of the U.S. section of this archive.

Confederate Use & Texas Cavalry Context

Confederate cavalry context for the Savage Navy recovered in Parker County, Texas:

Documented Confederate units listing Savage Navy revolvers among their arms include the 11th Texas Cavalry and Virginia formations such as the 7th Virginia Cavalry and the 34th and 35th Virginia Cavalry Battalions. Early in the war, sidearms were often privately purchased and later brought home at muster out.

Savage Navy production totaled about 20,000 revolvers. Roughly 11,000 to 12,000 were purchased by the United States, with about 11,284 going to the U.S. Army and approximately 1,100 to the U.S. Navy. That left thousands sold commercially, and many of those were carried in Confederate service.

The ring lever action that cams the cylinder forward created a partial gas seal and was specifically advertised as a cavalry suitable sidearm. Wartime ordnance rolls show issue concentrations in mounted units on both sides.

After the war, the U.S. Ordnance Department disposed of remaining Savages, with records showing 773 sold in 1866 at prices ranging from $1.50 to $3.45. This is good evidence for broad postwar circulation of the model. The 11th Texas Cavalry drew many of its men from North Central Texas, and Parker County contributed heavily to Confederate enlistments. A long term in ground recovery on Lee family land is consistent with that regional pattern.

Family Association & Provenance

The revolver is owned by members of the Lee family, descendants of the family of General Robert E. Lee. While any direct Civil War battlefield use by a specific individual remains unproven, this family association adds an additional layer of interest to the piece and places it within a broader narrative of American family and regional history.

In the spring of 2019, while plowing a field on the Lee family farm near Zion Hill Road and Central Road in Weatherford, the owner observed what looked like a small stick in the disturbed soil. On inspection it proved to be the exposed muzzle of a revolver buried in the field. The revolver was removed and found to be heavily rusted with the wooden grips missing; the cylinder and barrel were packed with dirt. The two-trigger arrangement, with a ring shaped lower lever and a straight firing trigger, was noted at discovery.

In April 2025, the owner contacted Classic Firearms Restorations. The shop identified the revolver as a Savage North 1861 Navy with an assist from Don Whitley, a Civil War historian and collector who loaned an intact example for comparison. The revolver documented at the shop bears serial number 7884. Following restoration, the firearm remains with the owner together with photographic documentation of the work.

Configuration & Mechanical Features

• .36 caliber, six-shot percussion revolver intended for naval and officer use.
• Large ring trigger operates the cylinder and cocks the hammer in a combined motion.
• Conventional rear trigger releases the hammer to fire after the ring trigger cycle.
• Cylinder moves slightly forward into a tapered recess at the barrel face, improving gas seal.
• Solid frame with top strap and distinctive figure eight trigger guard profile.
• Rear sight notch cut into the hammer nose when at full cock.

Condition & Professional Work

The revolver has been professionally conservedby Mick and Tim Crowder of Classic Firearms Restorations.

• Metal surfaces present a stable, even appearance with surviving details preserved where possible.
• Replacement grips fitted to return the revolver to a complete, presentable configuration.
• Action functions correctly, with the ring trigger mechanism operating as intended.

Detailed restoration steps and conservation notes are documented separately in the Restoration Lab section of this archive.

Identification Summary

• Model: Savage North 1861 Navy Revolver.
• Maker: Savage Revolving Fire-Arms Co., Norwich, Connecticut.
• Caliber & Capacity: .36 caliber percussion, six-shot cylinder.
• Serial Number: 7884.
• Special Features: Two-trigger proto double action system; forward sealing cylinder.
• Markings: Only legible marking is the serial number 7884; no other stamps remain visible.
• Provenance: Recovered in 2019 from a Lee family field near Weatherford, Texas; owned by Lee family descendants of the family of General Robert E. Lee.