North & Savage .36 cal revolver

[J.T. Gerrity]

(AKA "Savage-North")

"Among the distinctive features of this weapon is the "humped" back strap, the large case-hardened off set hammer and the extreme size of the off set case-hardened trigger guard containing a ring cocking lever below a conventional trigger. Both are cased-hardened. The heart shaped guard extends from behind the cylinder to the lower part of the frame just above the butt strap. The cocking lever or ring trigger when drawn to the rear cocks the hammer, rotates the cylinder and draws it backward away from the barrel. When the ring is released, the cylinder moves forward locking the cylinder against the beveled barrel breech to form a gas tight union. The arm is then fired by pulling the upper trigger which releases the hammer to fall on the percussion cap through the opening in the top of the frame. The blued, six shot cylinder is 2" long with the nipples recessed in three quarter circular wells. A separate 1/4" pressure plate on which the stop lugs are located is directly behind the cylinder. The linked type case-hardened loading lever is secured by a conventional "Navy" type latch. The linked cylinder arbor is encircled by a substantial 1-1/4" long spring which compresses against the pressure plate when the hammer is cocked and is released after the hammer is cocked causing the cylinder to move forward to it's gas tight position with the barrel. The wide black walnut two piece grips are oil finished with the inspector's cartouche, on military purchased arms, being stamped into the left grip." -Dave Radcliffe

Anyone ever handled and/or fired one of these things? Amazingly enough, the Army actually ordered quite a number of these during the war. I should think that the method of firing one (kind of a "one-two" punch) would have made them extremely awkward to fire rapidly, especially during the heat of battle. For more details, go here .

 

[pohill]

Kittery Trading Post in Maine has one and they let me play with it whenever I want (I never fired it but I can dream). It's a great gun, and this one's in great shape.
http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28/gid/95841

 

[Timthinker]

J.T., not long ago, I started a thread about unsuccessful handgun designs in the 19th century. One of the guns I specifically mentioned was the North-Savage revolver. Two reasons come to my mind as to why it existed. First, the Civil War created a huge demand for all types of firearms by both combatants. Secondly, Colt's plant suffered a devasting fire during that conflict and was unable to produce revolvers for some time. This incident no doubt helped other handgun manufacturers at the time. I hope this tidbit of historical information helps.


Timthinker

 

[Jim K]

The description of firing is correct, except that if the "lever" is pulled with two fingers, the index finger holding back the trigger, the gun will operate almost like a double action revolver. Another gun in the same category is the Starr "double action" which is really a trigger cocker. When the trigger slide is down, pulling the trigger cocks the hammer and trips the sear. Up, pulling the trigger cocks the hammer but releasing it involves releasing the trigger, inserting the trigger finger behind the trigger and pressing the sear.

Jim

 

[Pancho]

That firearm sure looks like a Volcanic. I wonder if the designers were connected.

 

[Pancho]

About a year ago I was talking to a friend at work about what we were doing over the weekend and I told him I was going to the Ohio Gun Collector Assoc. gun show. He told me he had an old family gun and he'd bring it in on Monday and maybe I could tell him what it was worth. Well, it turned out to be a perfect Volcanic. I'd seen them under glass but never stuffed into a sock.

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

.36 caliber, cylinder 2 inches long? Does anyone right off hand know what the maximum powder charge is? Case hardened. Must be built to fire a heavy charge. Standard modern #10 or #11 caps?...Okay...

 

[J.T. Gerrity]

Thanks for the replies. Pohill, have you actually cocked one and pulled the trigger? Jim, it seems like the only hindrance to rapid firing is that the "lever" needs to be released to let the cylinder slide forward to form the gas seal? Still seems like it would be more of a death-trap than a real asset.

The Volcanic pistol, being the predecessor to the Henry and Winchester rifles, actually looks more like a sawed-off rifle to me...

 

[pohill]

I handled that one at Kittery last year. I cocked it and examined it but I had no idea at the time what it was. I went home and googled it to get some info. It's 20 minutes away from me, and I'll gladly check it out again - any specific details that you are interested in?