Here's one you probably haven't heard of.

[TheRodDoc]

Shawk & McLanahan Revolver

 

[bannockburn]

TheRodDoc

You're right; never heard of it til now! Very interesting video on a decidedly unknown revolver made prior to the start of the Civil War. Looked to be a well designed and well built gun, especially with the one piece frame.

 

[LonesomePigeon]

Actually I heard about it two days ago when I was browsing James Julia's current auction. I thought about posting the video, never got around to it so I'm glad you did.

 

[sltm1]

Thanx for the post, you never can know enough stuff !!

 

[Tommygunn]

Very nice video, and interesting revolver. I never heard of that as well.



I wonder if Uberti would make a copy? Probably not....

 

[Starter52]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing the video.

 

[whughett]

Both Forgotten Weapons and Cap and Ball are interesting channels to browse on You Tube. You tube is starting to become my go to for evening viewing.

 

[Fingers McGee]

Knew all about them. Only the second one I've ever seen. Unfortunately not in person.

 

[AJumbo]

Brigadier General James Chestnut was the husband of Mary Chestnut, whose diary was extensively quoted in Ken Burns' Civil War documentary.

 

[expat_alaska]

ForgottenWeapons.com has always posted very good videos on little-known guns, and I enjoy watching them very much.

He/they are correct as to the involvement with Charles H. Rigdon with the association of the pistol's production, mainly because of McLanahan's and Rigdon's involvement with early firefighting equipment.

I watched the video with much attention to the metal holster.

Brigadier General James Chestnut was the husband of Mary Chestnut, whose diary was extensively quoted in Ken Burns' Civil War documentary.

The spelling of the last name of General James (and Mary) on the holster is incorrect. It is Chesnut, not Chestnut.

https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/mary-chesnut

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Chesnut_Jr.

Google it all day long.

That brings to my mind that the holster as represented is not a true 1865 presentation and could possibly have been made at a later date to fit the pistol, in memory of the General, and that the story of the pistol being separated from the holster, and only the pistol being stolen, kind of raises a red flag to my mindset. I know James Julia is a reputable auction house, but...

Just my $.02 worth.

Jim

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

In my quest for my ancestors, I have seen how inconsistent name spelling was before compulsory education last century.

 

[expat_alaska]

In my quest for my ancestors, I have seen how inconsistent name spelling was before compulsory education last century.

I agree. My last name is Padberg, but many centuries ago it was spelled Padberg, Padtberg, Patberg, et al (it means mountain path auf Deutch), but I am referring to the 1100's here, not 150 years ago. I would think that the smartest soldier of the bunch that had that inscription applied to the holster would have gotten it right if that kind of money was involved.

 

[Ephraim Kibbey]

I too would assume that officers would be literate and familiar with the spelling especially those on the staff of a General and doing his reports but you never know. Maybe the error was with the person doing the inscription. All through the 1800's and as recently as the 1880 census, I have seen the various names in our ancestry written numerous ways by the census takers. I guess the Anglo-American census takers had trouble with our Irish brogues and Hessian accents. Ancestry.com search uses Soundex and other algorithms to find all the different spellings that might fit someone's name. It is amazing how many official documents (deeds, wills, etc.) have them misspelled. It seems that the Chesnut/Chestnut family has suffered similarly:

http://louisianalineagelegacies.blogspot.com/2007/09/family-of-james-chestnut-jr-marys.html
http://donchesnut.com/genealogy/pages/chessurn.htm

 

[expat_alaska]

I too would assume that officers would be literate and familiar with the spelling especially those on the staff of a General and doing his reports but you never know. Maybe the error was with the person doing the inscription. All through the 1800's and as recently as the 1880 census, I have seen the various names in our ancestry written numerous ways by the census takers. I guess the Anglo-American census takers had trouble with our Irish brogues and Hessian accents. Ancestry.com search uses Soundex and other algorithms to find all the different spellings that might fit someone's name. It is amazing how many official documents (deeds, wills, etc.) have them misspelled. It seems that the Chesnut/Chestnut family has suffered similarly:

http://louisianalineagelegacies.blogspot.com/2007/09/family-of-james-chestnut-jr-marys.html
http://donchesnut.com/genealogy/pages/chessurn.htm

Good post, EK. My original 1952 birth certificate has my middle name spelled wrong (Micheal).

 

[expat_alaska]

They only want $12,650 for the holster.

https://jamesdjulia.com/?s=shawk&post_type=page_catalog&sort=catalog_aucID

 

[kBob]

Just a word on name spelling. One evening when my church calling was with Family History I had a member of my ward that had hit a wall on geneology at about 1900.

I sat down with him and used the Canadian and US census data we could find and eventually got him back another generation.......between 1880 and 1900 his great great great had used three different spellings on the last name. Only because things like birthdays and names of children and their birthdays match and former place of residence match were we able to track this family.

Shoot I read the diary and if you had asked me off the top of the head I would have said Chestnut, but then we all know I can not spell anyway.

-kBob

 

[whughett]

I've gotten into the habit of spelling out my last name and just smile when its mispronounced. My wife is of Portuguese decent , and, as was the custom of some immigrants ,her maiden name reflects her father changing the spelling to become more Americanized. So don't think all of the changes were due to lack of spelling knowledge.

 

[AJumbo]

It appears my spellchecker has initiated a kerfuffle. I shall send it to bed without dinner. I hope I don't need that extra "t" that it carelessly threw away.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Actually, I have heard of it.

Growing up without a television in the house (something I hated when I was young, but am thankful for as an adult), I read constantly. My father had read most of Louis L'amour's western novels, and one of my favorites was "To Tame a Land".
In this book, the main character and his father each had Shawk and McLanahan revolvers and mentioned them being good guns.
IIRC, later in the book he upgrades to a Smith and Wesson Russian.

I would not have heard of them if not for that though.

 

[expat_alaska]

It appears my spellchecker has initiated a kerfuffle. I shall send it to bed without dinner. I hope I don't need that extra "t" that it carelessly threw away.

That is a very good post, sir. Kudos!