POTD: One of Three – L.E. Tucker Navy Percussion Revolver
Sam.S 05.30.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have yet another American Civil War Era Confederate small arm. This is an L.E. Tucker Navy Percussion Revolver. Particularly this is serial number 1 of three known navy revolvers made by the Tucker, Sherrard & Company. Tucker and his sons where gunsmiths and firearm dealers in the 1850s and 1860s. When the war broke out they tried their hand at making some copies of the Colt Model 1851. They partnered with some other business men to get things moving and hoped to supply the Confederate government with Colt copy revolvers. This was all for not and the company just could not get its footing during the war.
A fun note is a newspaper described these versions of the Colt revolvers as follows: “as quite equal to the famous Colt’s six shooter, of which it is an exact copy, with the exception of an extra sight on the barrel which we think is a definite improvement.”
” Sexton writes, “In summary, the subject revolver is original and authentic in every regard and my conclusion is that it is a product of Leban E. Tucker of Lancaster, Texas which would make it only the 3rd known example of an L.E. Tuker associated Confederate navy revolver.” Sexton observed several “distinctive characteristics” this revolver shares with both or one of the two other known authentic Tucker Navies. (As listed in Sexton’s analysis, the two other surviving Tucker Navies are numbers 79 and 59. However, number 59 is correctly identified as serial number 52 from the renowned Carl Metzger collection at Texas A&M University in William Gary’s “Confederate Revolvers” on page 157.) The shared characteristics include the following: 6 land and groove rifling; punch mark on the end of plunger screw, though the plunger screw enters from the opposite side on this revolver and this revolver has an additional punch mark on the loading lever screw; cherry grip; “thin and well-made” back strap with “comparable file marks”; insert blade front sight; similar edge beveling on the barrel housing, frame and trigger guard; “’loading notch’ apparently added after manufacture”; “virtually identical” barrel and barrel housing dimensions; and “other dimensions are similar in frame and cylinder,” as the revolvers are “slightly larger than [the] Colt Model 1851.” Sexton noted, “Wedge appears contemporary but unique in form, unique in that no wedge screw mortise was cut” and speculated that the revolver was “rushed out of production with [a] makeshift wedge and no retaining screw.” The loading lever catch is pinned, a feature “not noted on any other Confederate revolvers.” The serial number “1” appears on the flat of the loading lever, and there are no other markings. Sexton noted that the “1” stamping is similar in “the same font and size” to the die used on Tucker & Sherrard dragoons and the “very squared off nipple mortises” are typical to other Tucker firearms. The rear sight sits in a dovetail, a distinguishing feature not found on the other known Tucker Navies. Sexton proclaimed that this revolver could be the “only noted Tucker associated revolver known with rear sight of any configuration” and speculated that this revolver was the subject of a February 28, 1863 article in the Austin newspaper Texas Almanac. The newspaper described its viewing of a representative example of a Tucker & Sherrard Revolver provided by Colonel John M. Crocket (former Mayor of Dallas and Lt. Governor), who at that time was an official representing the firm of Tucker, Sherrard & Company.”
Lot 1149: Confederate L.E. Tucker Navy Percussion Revolver – Newly Discovered, Extraordinarily Rare and Immensely Historic Texas Confederate L.E. Tucker Navy Percussion Revolver Manufactured during His Tenure with Tucker Sherrard & Co., Serial Number 1, with Documentation. (n.d.-l). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved May 29, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/80/1149/confederate-le-tucker-navy-percussion-revolver.
