# need help to ID this heirloom revolver



## milzo (Apr 22, 2010)

Hello, all!

I kindly appeal to your collective expertise in the matter of identifying this handgun:










I've been at a loss for some time as to the identity of this six-shot, single-action revolver.

It has no maker's mark. This is what has made ID so difficult for me.

Other markings:

209XX NG
209XX Y
209XX Y 12

I measured the ID of the octagonal barrel to be 0.375 inches.

Barrel length 6.75 inches.

This iron is said to have been carried by a friend's great-great-grandfather in the late 19th century.

All I could come up with is that it is perhaps a Colt clone?


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

This looks pretty close; the one you posted might even have the same .38 rim fire conversion installed on it (cylinders look the same, and if they were unmodified black powder percussion revolvers they would look a bit different, with cylinder nipples visible). Serial number range is even close (600+ guns):










The above was found on the following web page, about one-third of the way down:

http://www.neaca.com/Sold Guns .html

Here is a photo of an unmodified (but reblued) Whitney Navy:
http://www.cowanauctions.com/upcoming_dates_view_item.asp?ItemId=44419
Click the other small photo to see the flip side. These photos show the cylinder differences I was talking about.

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If not a Whitney, it could be a Spiller & Burr (a confederate copy, also called the Southern Whitney):










From this page: http://www.csarmory.org/spiller/spiller.html

Checking the frame with a magnet to see if it's steel or silver-plated brass (non-magnetic) would tell the tale for this particular model...

.


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## milzo (Apr 22, 2010)

Thank you, DJ Niner! I appreciate the time it took to form such a complete response.

I knew I posted this question at the right forum... :mrgreen:

A+


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

Glad I could help. :smt023


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