POTD: A Little Like The Savage – The Alsop Navy Revolver
Sam.S 03.12.24
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Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Joseph Alsop and his sons Charles R and Charles H produced two types of revolving percussion cap revolvers in 1862-1863 – the .36 caliber “Navy” model and the smaller .31 caliber “Pocket” model. A total of 800 were manufactured, with the first 500 being Navy revolvers and the final 300 the Pocket variant. While mechanically identical, the two models had differently sized frames, most noticeably in the grip area. The Navy featured a prominent protrusion on the top of the grip frame, whereas the Pocket had just a slight step. The Alsop designs closely resembled and refined the earlier revolvers made by the Savage Revolving Firearms Company, where multiple Alsops had worked, including Charles R as a principal gunsmith. Though short-lived, producing only around 800 total revolvers before ceasing in 1863, the Alsop Navy and Pocket models showcased an improved take on the Savage revolver system by the Alsop family of Middletown, Connecticut.
“Only about 500 of these Navy Model revolvers and 300 of the smaller Pocket Model revolvers were manufactured by Charles R. Alsop of Middletown, Connecticut, in 1862 and 1863. Both designs closely resemble the Savage revolvers also produced in Middletown in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Multiple members of the Alsop family held positions in the Savage Revolving Firearms Company, and Charles was one of the principle gunsmiths with the firm. Thus, Alsop revolvers are clearly refined versions of the somewhat awkwardly shaped Savage system. The barrel has a blade front sight and “C.R. ALSOP MIDDLETOWN, CONN./PATENTED JULY 17th. AUGUST 7th. 1860 MAY 14th. 1861,” the cylinder is marked “C.R. ALSOP PATENTED/NOV. 26TH 1861,” and the left side plate has “PATENTED JANY. 21ST 1862.” The top of the frame has a long groove for a rear sight. The matching serial number is located on the bottom of the barrel, front face of the cylinder, side plate, under the left grip, both grips, and the butt.”
Lot 1193: C.R. Alsop Navy Model Percussion Revolver – Very Scarce and Desirable C.R. Alsop Navy Model Percussion Revolver. (n.d.-a). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved March 12, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/1193/cr-alsop-navy-model-percussion-revolver.
