Only several hundred of these revolvers are estimated to have been manufactured from the late 1870s to early 1880s. The XL Army and Navy revolvers are often considered to be the finest quality handguns made by Hopkins and Allen and would have been serviceable military sidearms though no government contracts are known. The top strap is stamped with the two-line address/patent dates marking along with "XL NO.8." It has round blade and top strap groove sights, a swing-out ejector, sliding loading gate, checkered hard rubber grips, a lanyard ring on the butt, and matching numbers on the barrel, ejector arm, cylinder, loading gate, and grip frame at the toe on the left.