Savage 1861 Navy
The Savage 1861 Navy was a cap and ball revolver manufactured by the Savage Revolving Firearms Company from 1861 to 1862. This company is unrelated to the later Savage Arms Company. It was used by both sides during the American Civil War.
Savage 1861 Navy
Naval History Heritage Command from Washington, DC, USA · 65-231-AU Revolver Percussion, Savage North Cal 36 · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Savage 1861 Navy
- Field
- revolver
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wikidata · Q15990623 · wikipedia · Savage 1861 Navy
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Savage 1861 Navy • Origin — United States • Type — Revolver • Is Ranged — yes • Service — 1861-1865 • Used By — United States, Confederate States • Wars — American Civil War • Designer — Savage Revolving Firearms Company • Design Date — 1860 • Production Date — 1861-1862 • Number — 20,000 • Weight — 3 pounds, 6 ounces • Length — 14-1/2" • Cartridge —.36 Ball • Caliber —.36 • Action — double-action • Feed — 6-shot Cylinder
Design
Design
The Savage 1861 Navy is quite unique in appearance and is only comparable to its predecessor, the Savage 1859 Figure Eight. Both guns are recognized by its use of a kind of "proto double-action" with a second trigger underneath the first. When this trigger is pulled it rotates the cylinder and cocks the hammer.
History
History
Designed in 1860 by Henry S. North and Edward Savage, production began in Middletown, Connecticut in 1861 and ended in 1862 with a total of 20,000 units produced. An initial order of 5,500 units was placed in 1861 but was later extended to 12,000 units. The first units were delivered late 1861. The remaining units were sold to civilians and several ended up being used by the Confederates.
Use during the American Civil War
Use during the American Civil War
During the American Civil War the Savage 1861 Navy was officially used by the following United States army regiments: 1st Wisconsin U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, 2nd Wisconsin U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, 5th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, and the 7th New York Cavalry. Confederate States Army regiments: 34th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, 35th Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, 11th Texas Cavalry, 7th Virginia Cavalry and the 7th Missouri Cavalry. The United States Navy also used the revolver in small numbers, but it was never widely adopted due to a lack of consistency and low-quality production material/machines. This amounted to a pistol that was more of a concept, being one of the only double-triggered pistols in existence. The Savage Navy just could not compare to other models like the Colt Army 1860, and quickly became a high-demand collector's item over an army pistol.
Post war use
Post war use
Even though the gun was offered to the soldiers when the war ended, only 17 units were reported being bought.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Savage 1861 Navy, revision 1358580231 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
Connections
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Connections
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Broader subject
1- revolverTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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