Serial number 1165, caliber .36 with a 7 ½? barrel having the rounded top barrel lug contour. Bears matching serial numbers on the frame, barrel lug and cylinder with the partial number “65” on the loading lever and inspector’s mark on the barrel a backward letter “J.” The cylinder clearly shows this manufacturer’s trademark ‘twist’ lines and the barrel has the proper six groove rifling with right-handed gain twist. The brass frame and gripstraps have a one-piece walnut grip which shows the slight upward angle typified of a Griswold, and the mechanism works well. The wedge is not numbered and may be a replacement, as may be three small screws. The cylinder has scattered moderate pitting, the barrel with a little light pitting and a couple of small dings, and there is an area of holster wear at the muzzle. The brass has a couple of small dings but is generally smooth with a nice patina, the barrel and cylinder have a mostly dark patina, and the grip is in fine condition with a couple small chips at the top and otherwise only light wear. Considered to be among the best made of all Confederate revolvers, early collector terminology referred to this arm’s manufacturer as Griswold and Grier.
After converting his Macon, Georgia cotton gin into a gun factory at the onset of the Civil War, Samuel Griswold became the Confederacy’s most prolific and relied upon revolver maker. These second models are even rarer than the first model examples, of which only 3,700 were initially produced. Often confused with the 1860 Colt Army and Navy Colt revolvers manufactured in the Union North, this handsome revolver proved to be exceptionally lethal in the hands of an adept marksman, and remains a resounding example of true ‘Griswoldville’ ingenuity.
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