A Starr revolver (Starr DA) is a

double-action Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. * Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-actio ...

revolver which was used in the western theater of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

until the United States Army Ordnance Department persuaded the Starr Arms Co. to create a

single-action A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a tr ...

variant after discontinuation of the

Colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: * Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People *Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places * Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...

. The company eventually complied, and the Union acquired 25,000 of the single-action revolvers for $12 each (). However, the price paid by the government for the DA army revolver was $25. The State of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

purchased 500 of the .36 Caliber Navy version for $20 each. Starr DA 44 revolver 1862

Power and charge

The Starr DA .44 cylinder holds in each chamber of powder, the bullet weighs .

Three variations

Starr received patent number 30843 on December 4, 1860 for the DA revolver. Starr patent: File:001_starr1860patent.jpg File:002_starr1860patent.jpg File:003_starr1860patent.jpg File:004_starr1860patent.jpg Generally there are three models of Starr revolvers:
1858 Double Action .36 Caliber Percussion Navy Revolver (produced 1859-1860) 000 producedref name="rebelstatescurrency" />
1858 Double Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1862-1863) 23000 producedref name="bare_url_b" />
1863 Single Action .44 Caliber Percussion Army Revolver (produced 1863-1864) 3000 producedref name="bare_url_b"> In total, 47,454 Starr revolvers were manufactured making it the third most issued of civil war era revolvers (6,352 Starr DA Navy and Army revolvers were purchased on the open market).

Other double-action percussion revolvers

The most widely known double-action percussion revolver is likely the First Model Adams of 1851. This was unique in having a double-action-only mechanism, a cylinder that could quickly be removed by pulling forward on the front of the cylinder pin and slightly tapered cylinders designed to take either proprietary combustible cartridges with a conical bullet designed to fit the tapered cylinder or a round ball. No ramrod was provided. Another unique feature was a safety catch which held the hammer away from the percussion cap under it so it could be carried with all its 5 cylinders loaded unlike the Colt in which one of its 6 cylinders was left uncapped while carried because the hammer would rest on it which could result in a discharge if dropped. An improved version of this is the Beaumont–Adams of 1855 which has a hammer spur and a mechanism which allows single-or double-action operation. The cartridge idea had proved unpopular, so the cylinders were bored parallel for use with ball and powder and a ramrod installed on the left side of the barrel. The Beaumont–Adams differs from the Starr DA in that it is configured for a SA/DA mode. Some sources claim that Starr and Beaumont did not produce enough revolvers to be considered major players in the market. These sources claim that the first widely used DA revolver (sometimes called the first "modern" revolver) was the

Colt M1889 The Colt Model 1889 was a revolver produced by the Colt Manufacturing Company in the late 19th century. History In the mid 19th century, Colt manufactured revolvers for the Army and Navy that were based on a design by William Mason and Carl J. Eh ...

.38 Government (

.38 Long Colt The .38 Long Colt, also known as .38 LC, is a black powder cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875. In 1892, it was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army for the Colt M1892 revolver. The ...

) used by the Navy, and/or the improved version for the Navy and Army, the Colt M1892, because, despite wide adoption, the 1889 model was produced in relatively low numbers.

Pietta replica

For a time, the Pietta company manufactured a modern-day replica of the Starr double-action and single-action models. Aficionados generally consider the replica to be of lower overall quality than the original.

Cultural reference

The Starr DA is featured in the 1992 film Unforgiven, when William Munny (

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...

) takes it from its case to determine whether he has lost his former shooting ability. The self-cocking trigger can be seen in this film. In the 1994 film ''

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which la ...

'' young

(

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors ...

) carries this gun. This gun is shown in its case in the 1982 film

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mento ...

References

External links

Compare between original and replica revolvers
{{USCWWeapons Early revolvers Eban Starr design American Civil War weapons Guns of the American West Black-powder pistols