POTD: If The Remington and Starr Had a Baby – The Freeman revolver
Sam.S 10.04.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Freeman Army Model revolver brought some Civil War-era innovation to the table. Patented by Austin Freeman in 1862, around 2000 were made by Hoard’s Armory in 1863-1864. It packed six .44 caliber rounds in a classic old-school Army frame but with a trick up its sleeve – a latch on the side allowed the cylinder to pop out quickly for reloading. Pretty slick! Beyond that fresh cylinder setup, the Freeman was typical for its day – 7.5-inch barrel, single action trigger, the usual. Though no governments bought them, many found their way to soldiers privately. The limited-run Freeman couldn’t compete with big-name Colts and Remingtons. But its removable cylinder showed some out-of-the-box thinking! The Freeman Army Model ultimately fell into obscurity but still deserves recognition for bringing a bit of innovation to mid-1800s revolver design.
“These rare Austin T. Freeman patent revolvers were manufactured by Hoard’s Armory in Watertown, New York, in the final years of the Civil War. The design looks like a cross between the Remington and Starr revolvers. These revolvers have an interesting method of securing and removing the cylinder: a small switch on the right side that when pressed forward allows the cylinder and pin to fall out to the right. Total production is only estimated at 2,000 revolvers. None are known to have been purchased by the Federal Government. However, some may have been purchased and issued by state governments, and others were no doubt purchased privately and carried by soldiers. It is equipped with a small half-moon front sight, frame groove rear sight, “FREEMAN’S PAT.DECR 9. 1862” on the right side of the sight groove and “HOARD’S ARMORY, WATERTOWN, N.Y” on the left side of the groove, and smooth grips. The matching serial number is stamped on the bottom of the barrel, loading lever, frame, rear face of the cylinder, and underside of the grips. The Freeman Army Model Revolver was a robustly designed and finely finished revolver. Surviving examples of this limited production Civil War revolver are scarce in any condition.”
Lot 1122: Hoard’s Armory Freeman Army Model Percussion Revolver – Outstanding Hoard’s Armory Freeman Army Model Percussion Revolver. (n.d.-o). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved October 3, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/78/1122/hoard’s-armory-freeman-army-model-percussion-revolver.
