Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Perhaps a revolver design that was ahead of its time, the Butterfield stands out with its remarkably clever automatic priming system. The brainchild of Jesse Butterfield in 1855 Philadelphia, this .41 caliber 5-shot percussion pistol eliminated the tedious task of manually capping cylinders after reloading. Instead, a spring-loaded tube fed small pellet primers into position on each chamber’s cone as the hammer was cocked. The U.S. government saw potential, contracting for 2,250 revolvers in 1861 to arm New York infantry regiments during the Civil War. However, only 640 were produced before the order was abruptly terminated, likely due to wartime financial constraints. This extremely limited production run makes original revolvers among the rarest martial pistols for collectors today. Those lucky few in excellent condition can fetch over $12,000 at auction. Beyond its inteligent priming system, it featured a robust 7-inch octagonal barrel, brass frame, blued steel lockwork, and classic walnut grips.
“The Butterfield revolvers were manufactured by Jesse Butterfield of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1862. They were manufactured in anticipation of an unrealized government contract. Because no contract was awarded, production was limited to only about 640 revolvers. It is equipped with a special disc priming device loaded by loosening a thumb-screw in front of the trigger guard. The top strap is marked “BUTTERFIELlD’S/PATENT DEc 11. 1855/PHILADA”. The matching serial number “539” is found on the primary components and many of the smaller parts including the butts of the grips.”
Butterfielld Army Model Percussion Revolver – Scarce Civil War Era Butterfield Army Model Percussion Revolver. (n.d.-a). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 22, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1039/2107/civil-war-era-butterfield-army-model-percussion-revolver.
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