*US, Civil War – c.1857–1859, Boxed Josiah Ells Patent Third Model Double-Action Percussion Pocket Revolver, with Accessories, Obsolete Calibre*
A very scarce American Civil War–period percussion revolver, this is a Josiah Ells Patent Third Model double-action pocket revolver, manufactured in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, circa 1857–1859. This example represents the side-hammer variant, a five-shot, solid-frame percussion revolver operating in double action, and the final and most mechanically developed form of Ells’ patented revolver design.
The revolver is finely decorated with light hand-cut foliate engraving to the rear section of the frame, with complementary geometric-foliate engraving to the cylinder, consistent with higher-grade civilian pocket arms of the period. It is fitted with a Colt-style loading lever, top-strap rear sighting groove, and a brass cone front sight, reflecting contemporary American revolver practice of the late 1850s.
The left side of the hammer is stamped “ELLS PATENT 77”, while the opposing side bears the patent dates “AUG. 1, 1854” over “APRIL 28, 1857”. 77 is likely to be the serial number, placing this revolver well within the documented production range.
The revolver is housed in its original fitted wooden case, lined in brown felt and named to “Robert Hill” on the lid. Accessories include a period copper percussion powder flask, a percussion capper, and a percussion cap tin containing caps, forming a well-matched and highly appropriate Civil War–era revolver accompaniment.
Approx. Measurements – Barrel length: 7.9 cm, Overall length: 21 cm
Historical Note:
Josiah Ells (1806–1885) was an English-born American inventor, gunsmith, blacksmith, and religious figure whose life combined technical innovation with sustained ecclesiastical activity. Initially a Methodist preacher, Ells converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1838 and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where he was ordained an elder and became a lieutenant colonel in the Nauvoo Legion, the city’s militia force. Following the dissolution and fragmentation of the early Latter-day Saint movement after 1844, Ells aligned himself with what became the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), later known as the Community of Christ. Within the RLDS movement, he served as an early Apostle and pioneering general missionary, travelling extensively while remaining active in secular trades.
Ells later settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a blacksmith and gunsmith, developing and patenting his distinctive double-action percussion revolver designs during the 1850s. His firearms represent an intersection of mid-19th-century American mechanical ingenuity and the civilian arms market on the eve of the American Civil War.
Ells patented a distinctive side-hammer, double-action percussion revolver system, receiving U.S. patents in 1854 and 1857, with further refinements granted in 1860. His revolvers were produced in very limited numbers and in several variations, including earlier bar-hammer models and the later Third Model side-hammer revolvers, such as the example offered here.
Although never adopted as a standard military sidearm, Ells revolvers were direct contemporaries of Colt, Adams, and Tranter designs and were marketed primarily as civilian and officer private-purchase arms. During the American Civil War, pocket revolvers of this type were widely carried by officers and enlisted men alike, privately purchased for personal defence rather than official issue.
Total production of Josiah Ells revolvers is generally believed to have been well under 1,000 examples overall. Within this already limited output, the Third Model side-hammer revolvers form a much smaller subset, with some collectors and researchers estimating production at as few as c.200 examples. Consequently, surviving Third Model revolvers — particularly complete, cased and engraved examples such as this — are regarded as genuinely scarce and are highly sought after by advanced collectors of early American and Civil War–era percussion revolvers.
The fitted case is named to Robert Hill, a common Anglo-American name recorded numerous times in Civil War–era service records. While no definitive attribution to a specific individual can be made without further identifying details, the dating of the revolver to 1857–1859 places it squarely within the American Civil War period. Privately purchased pocket revolvers of this type were widely carried by soldiers on both sides, particularly by officers and men seeking a compact personal sidearm outside of official issue.
*Condition*
Coks and dry-fires. The revolver remains in good antique condition, with an even aged patina throughout. Engraving remains clearly visible to both frame and cylinder. Mechanically complete, with expected wear consistent with age and period use. The wooden grips show honest handling marks and retain good colour. The fitted case is sound, retaining its lining and compartments, with wear commensurate with age. Accessories are period-correct and well matched to the set. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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