Known as the Revolver of Colt Model 1851 Navy type, these rare Confederate revolvers were manufactured circa 1861 to 1864 with a total production of only about 100 and only a few are known today. These revolvers were very well made and (like most Confederate revolvers) are almost identical in appearance to the Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers. Among the revolvers made in the Confederacy, the ones said to have been made by the Augusta Machine Works are somewhat mysterious. They are not marked with a markers name and some question if the gun was made by the factory or if any revolver were even manufactured by Augusta Machine. The Confederate Government did own a factory in Augusta, Georgia which was known as the Augusta Machine Works, but what military weapons were produced has never really been established. This particular revolver is period inscribed "H Canning" on the backstrap. Research into H. Canning shows that he served on the Confederate ship C.S.S. Shenandoah and was listed as a crew member on November 6, 1865 when the Commanding Officer Lieutenant James L. Waddell surrendered the ship to the British Government for the United States. The C.S.S. Shenandoah was formerly the Sea King, a British transport. The Confederate Government purchased her in 1864 for use as an armed cruiser. It was commissioned October 19, 1864. The Shenandoah fired the last shot of the American Civil War off the Aleutian Islands and by the time she was done sailing she had covered 58,000 miles making it the only time the Confederate flag traversed the globe. The revolver has the following markings: "24" on the loading lever and inside of the recoil shield, "2" on the back of the cylinder and a "1" stamped on the inside of the front strap, backstrap and grip. The barrel is fitted with a small brass blade front and fixed notch rear sights and the hammer has a large "V" cut sighting groove and the spur is checkered. The cylinder has six stops, (about half of the Augusta revolvers had 12 stops and the rest 6) and safety pins between the nipples, which were found on the six stop variation. These revolvers were finished brown with the brass trigger guard and backstrap left bright and fitted with one piece smooth walnut grips. The grips on these revolvers were of two styles, one thick and bulging and the other slimmer in style, which is the case on this revolver. The revolver is complete with a hand written letter dated 7/14/1997 from Donald Ball of American Heritage Investment Inc. briefly describing the revolver and stating that "The above described revolver appears to be a Augusta, Ga. Production similar to other known examples." The letter also states that this revolver was once in the David Cline Collection

Fair. The metal surfaces have once been cleaned and now have a grayish "re-patinaed" brown finish with some scattered pin prick type pitting on the barrel and front edge of the cylinder and minor flash pitting around the nipples. Rifle style sights were added to the barrel during period of usage. The brass has a once cleaned, aged patina. The grips are good with a moderate pressure dent on the lower right side, some lower edge wear, a minor chip on the right toe and a few minor dings and scratches. The metal to wood fit is tight and even. The percussion nipples are original to the revolver and remain good or better. The action is fine. This is an outstanding example of an extremely rare, Augusta Machine Works revolver associated with the Confederate Cruiser C.S.S. Shenandoah, which in it's own right left an historic mark in the closing months of the American Civil War. A must have for any advanced Confederate collection.