This Old Revolver

[Artie]

My aunt just gave me my great great grandfather's revolver. I remember my grandfather showing it to me as a kid but figured it was lost with another revolver he had and a German piece he brought back from WW2. As best as I can tell, it is a double action 44cal ball and cap Starr Arms from ~1858. Heavy as a bastard. I think a spring is bad as the trigger won't return. It also has a noticeable mismatched screw in front of the trigger guard. My great great grandfather was Cornelius but went by Neil. He purchased this revolver in 1925 so he could safely travel from Brooklyn to San Diego. Probably something to flash if got into trouble. Definitely an antique.

 

[tuna]

Very nice!

 

[not new guy]

Very cool. Sounds like a good excuse for a cross country road trip, just need to find someone selling a decent kydex holster for it.

 

[Picton]

No red dot?

meh.

/sarc

 

[Sweeney]

Very cool! Get it running.

 

[Marty McFly]

Throw a pinty on that sucker. And a flashlight.


Kidding. Congratulations thats awesome

 

[Artie]

Very cool! Get it running.

I thought it might be a good candidate for an electrolysis bath but want to check to see if I should. Being a Civil War Era gun, unsureif it may benefit me to put it back in an old brown paper bag.

 

[Sweeney]

I thought it might be a good candidate for an electrolysis bath but want to check to see if I should. Being a Civil War Era gun, unsureif it may benefit me to put it back in an old brown paper bag.

I'd give it a good boil and carding. Dixie Gun Works has parts as do other places.

Yours has a nice cartouche on the grips.

 

[Auto-5]

Take it to a smith if you want it to function correctly but anything else beyond preserving
it in it present state would be a shame. Its value lies in its present condition for how else
can it tell its story?

 

[lowbuckbob]

Nice piece of history.

Interesting read:

Starr revolver - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sweeney]

Take it to a smith if you want it to function correctly but anything else beyond preserving
it in it present state would be a shame. Its value lies in its present condition for how else
can it tell its story?

I think allowing it to remain idle in a neglected state of non-functionality and decay would be a shame.

'It has a chocolate brown patina and the grips tell the story of those who carried her'... No, sir....that's rust and decay...glaring signs of neglect. You should be ashamed.

 

[Stape]

I've got one also. Not as original as yours though as it had been converted over to centerfire. Does yours have a live hammer?

I got mine from my dad when he passed, I know nothing about its history or where he got it.

 

[Artie]

I'd give it a good boil and carding. Dixie Gun Works has parts as do other places.

Yours has a nice cartouche on the grips.

Thanks for the info on Dixie Gun Works. Total disassemble this evening and for now, cleaned it up with some Ballistol. Found the main spring missing. That and the trigger guard screw, everything else is there and in great shape. Each piece is stamped with a serial# and all are matching. The barrel is a mirror shine and doesn't look like it was ever fired. Will order the main spring and screw from DGW as they are in stock, $16. Then I will need to learn how to load & shoot it.

 

[Artie]

I've got one also. Not as original as yours though as it had been converted over to centerfire. Does yours have a live hammer?

I got mine from my dad when he passed, I know nothing about its history or where he got it.

Unsure, I don't know what a live hammer is?

 

[Frizzle Fry]

Star is "sort of" a double action but finicky... Watch some youtube videos first. A live hammer means if dropped on the hammer, with a live chamber beneath, it may discharge... So carry wirh the hammer over an empty one.

 

[Waher]

Unsure, I don't know what a live hammer is?

Firing pin is on the hammer. So even with the hammer down, if over a live round and the hammer is bumped hard enough it will hit the primer/cap causing a discharge.

 

[Sweeney]

Well, there is no firing pin as this is a percussion gun. As with the 1858 Remington Army and 1860 Colt Army, lowering the hammer between percussion caps is the safe way to carry with all six chambers loaded...by design.

 

[Stape]

Unsure, I don't know what a live hammer is?

Live hammer has the spike or pointed hammer striking surface to hit the primer like a firing pin, like old Smiths.

 

[Glockster30]

My aunt just gave me my great great grandfather's revolver. I remember my grandfather showing it to me as a kid but figured it was lost with another revolver he had and a German piece he brought back from WW2. As best as I can tell, it is a double action 44cal ball and cap Starr Arms from ~1858. Heavy as a bastard. I think a spring is bad as the trigger won't return. It also has a noticeable mismatched screw in front of the trigger guard. My great great grandfather was Cornelius but went by Neil. He purchased this revolver in 1925 so he could safely travel from Brooklyn to San Diego. Probably something to flash if got into trouble. Definitely an antique.


Very nice! I hope he followed FOPA law when crossing the country.