I Have This Old Gun: Spiller & Burr Revolver

by
posted on September 21, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

At the beginning of the American Civil War, the Confederacy had a difficult time manufacturing enough arms for its troops. Despite this, the Confederacy still found means to produce its own arms for the war effort, with one of the more common pistols produced being the Spiller & Burr revolver. It was a single-action, percussion-fired, six-shot, .36-cal. revolver manufactured by a firm formed between two wealthy Virginia businessmen, Edward N. Spiller and David J. Burr. Both men were also partners with James H. Burton, a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate army who was responsible for assigning manufacturing contracts for the Confederacy.

Through Burton, Spiller & Burr received a contract in 1861 for 15,000 Colt-style Navy revolvers. However, instead of producing the desired Colt Navy revolvers as contracted, Spiller & Burr instead copied the design of the Whitey revolver for its production. This was likely due to the more readily available Whitney tooling needed to produce components. The firm experienced difficulty sourcing both skilled workmen and production materials, and as a result, design changes and cost-cutting measures were made throughout production. As an example, a shortage of iron frames led to the use of brass frames in production, which were prone to stretching.

A shortage of steel for cylinders led to the use of an innovative technique of heating iron rods and twisting them, which in turn twisted and compressed the grains of the iron and made it less prone to cracking under stress. Despite the firm's efforts to ease production constraints, it was never able to deliver the 15,000 revolvers contracted. It is believed that in total, some 1,000 to 1,500 were produced. They can still be found today on the collectors market, ranging in price, depending on condition.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

springfield armory kuna
springfield armory kuna

Springfield Kuna: A PDW For The Masses

Small, yet fierce, the namesake of Springfield Armory’s latest large-format pistol is a revered forest dweller in the land of its Croatian manufacturing partner, HS Produkt. The new Kuna is poised to be just as welcome in America.

The Armed Citizen® June 30, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Book Review: Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers Of Elisha Collier & Artemas Wheeler

The result of a decade of research, Clockwork Basilisk is a comprehensive, two-volume history of the rare revolvers that preceded the development of the well-known Colt guns of the 1830s.

Preview: 1791 Gunleather Cobra Gun Belt 01

Employing the same rugged and rigid 0.25"-thick American steerhide as 1791 Gunleather’s original Gun Belt 01, the new Cobra Gun Belt 01 offers enhanced ease of use by taking advantage of a high-strength Cobra quick-latch/release buckle.

NRA CEO Hamlin and President Bachenberg Hold First Virtual Townhall

In the interests of transparency, NRA CEO and EVP Doug Hamlin and NRA President Bill Bachenberg held a live Townhall event, where both answered direct questions from NRA members.

Benelli Adds New 28-Gauge Models to Super Black Eagle 3 Line

Benelli initially introduced the 28-ga. chambering to its Super Black Eagle 3 line in 2022, but this year, the company added three new models tailored specifically to hunters.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.