I Have This Old Gun: Spiller & Burr Revolver

by
posted on September 21, 2022

At the beginning of the American Civil War, the Confederacy had a difficult time manufacturing enough arms for its troops. Despite this, the Confederacy still found means to produce its own arms for the war effort, with one of the more common pistols produced being the Spiller & Burr revolver. It was a single-action, percussion-fired, six-shot, .36-cal. revolver manufactured by a firm formed between two wealthy Virginia businessmen, Edward N. Spiller and David J. Burr. Both men were also partners with James H. Burton, a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate army who was responsible for assigning manufacturing contracts for the Confederacy.

Through Burton, Spiller & Burr received a contract in 1861 for 15,000 Colt-style Navy revolvers. However, instead of producing the desired Colt Navy revolvers as contracted, Spiller & Burr instead copied the design of the Whitey revolver for its production. This was likely due to the more readily available Whitney tooling needed to produce components. The firm experienced difficulty sourcing both skilled workmen and production materials, and as a result, design changes and cost-cutting measures were made throughout production. As an example, a shortage of iron frames led to the use of brass frames in production, which were prone to stretching.

A shortage of steel for cylinders led to the use of an innovative technique of heating iron rods and twisting them, which in turn twisted and compressed the grains of the iron and made it less prone to cracking under stress. Despite the firm's efforts to ease production constraints, it was never able to deliver the 15,000 revolvers contracted. It is believed that in total, some 1,000 to 1,500 were produced. They can still be found today on the collectors market, ranging in price, depending on condition.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

New Guns Gear Nraam 2025 F (1)
New Guns Gear Nraam 2025 F (1)

New Guns & Gear At The 2025 NRA Show

The 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, held at the Georgia World Congress Center, April 24-27, was teeming with new guns and gear. Here's a taste of what you can see on the show floor.

Gun Of The Week: Smith & Wesson Model 1854 Stealth Hunter

Welcome to American Rifleman’s Gun Of The Week. For this episode, we have a version of Smith & Wesson’s Model 1854 lever-action that’s specifically made for field use. Meet the Model 1854 Stealth Hunter.

The Armed Citizen® April 25, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The Great FN Gun Giveaway At NRAAM 2025

Here’s a chance to win a custom, one-of-a-kind FN 545 Tactical pistol at the 154th NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits, April 24-27, in Atlanta, Ga. No purchase necessary.

Training With Moving Targets

Most target shooters understand static or bullseye-type stationary targets quite well, but did you know that adding motion into your training routine will improve practical marksmanship and the skills necessary to conquer defensive situations?

USA Shooting Celebrates 30th Anniversary

USA Shooting marks a historic milestone in April as it celebrates 30 years as the national governing body for international shooting sports within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.