Need help ID'ing an heirloom

For a family that are long time friends. Three sisters now in their 60's. Great Americans but they are definitely not gun folks. They have asked me to see if I can cut trail on this thing. It belonged to their late father, and the only provenence they can provide is "Civil War?". No markings at all on the weapon. Octagonal barrel. Bore appears to be .36 to .38. Its not a .44. Their desire is to restore it to display condition. Thanks in advance for any help provided.

AlexanderA said:

It looks like a Rogers & Spencer, but all of them were made in .44.

Another possibility is that it's a Whitney (they were made in .36). Or it might be a foreign copy.

Can you post a bigger picture?

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Yeah, I have asked for one and I will post as soon as I get it.

I went

NIGHTLORD40K said:

IMO, a confederate copy of a Whitney. The retaining wedge is vertical and the frame flat-sided where it goes through, which were cost-cutting measures found in Southern copies.

Not a Spiller and Burr, though, because of the steel frame.

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I went back and looked at Whitney's, Nightlord. That is awful close! I can't find any feature that doesn't match, including the remnant grips that have the brass reinforced mounting holes.

Jim Watson said:

Wonder what they mean by that.
I would get the active rust off, wax it, and frame it. Maybe find or make grips.

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Yeah, they have grips, one side is excellent, the other side is broken. But yeah, I think that is exactly what they mean, Jim.

Jim Watson said:

So shadow box it with the good grip out.
I am sure somebody here knows a way to remove the active rust without making it look like naked steel or shined up.

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Yeah, we got that part covered, Jim. Just needed help with the ID since there were no markings and no generational passdown.