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I have many Civil War era reproduction revolvers, covering
the gamut from the Walker revolver through the well-known 1860 Colt Army, to
such rarities as the LaMat and the Confederate Spiller and Burr. However, in my
opinion, the Rogers and Spencer is the non plus ultra of
percussion revolvers. Simply put, nothing better would be offered afterward,
and it solved nearly all of the shortcomings of the Colt, and shaded the
Remington by just a bit. Unfortunately, its introduction was so close to the
War’s end that they were never issued, and placed in storage at the War’s end.
The revolver’s story is rather unique for the time. The
Company received an order for 5,000 revolvers in November of 1864, with a first
delivery of 500 set for January of 1865, barely two months later. What made
this contract unusual is the first batch of revolvers was delivered on time, with
the subsequent deliveries similarly punctual. Now the company had a great deal
of manufacturing experience in the intricacies of the manufacture of firearms,
as they manufactured parts for other manufacturers and would take over the
manufacture of the Pettengill revolver after its original investors
defaulted. It suffices to say that Rogers and Spencer was properly equipped to
keep production on schedule, and the contract was completed before the years
end. Since the War was about to end, the entire lot was placed into storage.
In 1901 the Government got around to selling off the
revolvers at a time when nobody really wanted them. 4982 Rogers and Spencers were
bought by arms dealer Francis Bannerman, who paid about $.25 per gun and sells
them for $3.85. While all were eventually purchased, it is hard to imagine that
anybody bought one to actually use.
Because of this, these revolvers have a high survival rate, with mint
and near-mint specimens relatively common. In fact, about thirty years ago, I
saw one in what I believe was its original cardboard box. While it appeared to
be unfired, the bluing had oxidized over the years, but there was no rust, and
no wear marks anywhere on the gun. The revolver had a price tag of $1,000.00, which in the 1980s was real money.
As a point of reference, "combat" revolvers would retain
the percussion cap ignition throughout the Civil War because Smith and Wesson
bought the patent rights to Rollin White's bored through cylinder for $.25 per
revolver until 1869. This feature made it possible for Smith and Wesson
cylinders to load a self-contained metallic cartridge from the rear. The first
Smith and Wesson revolvers was a .22 short rimfire loaded with black powder.
Certainly larger, more combat worthy cartridges existed (The .44 Henry and the
.56 caliber Spencer rimfire), but wrapping a pistol around one of these
relatively large cartridges would require a proportionally larger revolver to
chamber it. *
I suggest that you watch Ian McCollum’s video on the Rogers
and Spencer which covers the chronology of its development, the military
contracts, and an historical twist where the Government’s entire inventory of
revolvers is sold to Francis Bannerman, the famous liquidator of the weapons of
the world.
Pedersoli provides high quality and historically accurate reproductions of rifles and pistols for competitors who are required to use actual antique specimens, or exact reproductions of those firearms. At one time they offered both the Rogers and Spencer and the Remington 1858 in competition suitable variants.Unfortunately, only the Remington remains in their product line, and can be had for $1,688.00 in 21st century dollars. .
* Pin
fire cartridge firearms from Europe pre-dated the Rollin White patent,
and were imported during the Civil War.