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The Joslyn

Less successful with the Government was another Freeman, W. C. Freeman, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Though he consciously used a United States Senator, the Hon. W. S. Williams, to act in his behalf in Washington, he failed to get what he wanted.
Freeman offered through Williams on June 7, , to make for the Army the revolver designed by Benjamin F. Joslyn at $25 each. A .44 caliber solid frame fiveshooter, its side hammer and rear-removing cylinder pin reveal the influence of Root and Colt’s designs. The barrel is octagonal, screwing into the frame, and shaped with a lump at the rear for the pivot screw of the hinged loading lever. The barrel is stamped with b, f. joslyn/patd may 4th , in two lines. Some have a Navy anchor stamped in the butt or in the underside of the barrel, but none have U. S. inspectors’ initials on the grips, because the order of 500 guns given to Freeman by Ripley was annulled.
Big Savage reciprocating cylinder revolver was noted as “Navy” because of .36 caliber but many were bought by Army. Handsome full-blue pistol with case hardened colored hammer, lever and guard was expensive gun to make. Ring lever turned and shifted cylinder; separate trigger released hammer.
Big Savage reciprocating cylinder revolver was noted as “Navy” because of .36 caliber but many were bought by Army. Handsome full-blue pistol with case hardened colored hammer, lever and guard was expensive gun to make. Ring lever turned and shifted cylinder; separate trigger released hammer.

Predecessor to Civil War model was “Figure Eight” Savage Navy revolver so called because of front guard shape matching lever to make an “8.” Hinged lever was later abandoned for creeping lever that was infringement upon Root’s patent owned by Colt. Figure-8 guns have brass frames.
Predecessor to Civil War model was “Figure Eight” Savage Navy revolver so called because of front guard shape matching lever to make an “8.” Hinged lever was later abandoned for creeping lever that was infringement upon Root’s patent owned by Colt. Figure-8 guns have brass frames.
Freeman stated to the Commissioners in explaining his reasons for non-delivery, that “The delivery has been delayed by our desire to give the Government a good article (the pistols then on hand not being in all respects what the government needed)” and by failures to obtain machinery which the makers diverted to Springfield Armory. Holt and Owen decided to annul the contract and no guns were to be obtained of the Joslyn make except in open purchase at not more than $15.
Apparendy the inventor was a man of no mean manufacturing and organizational skill, and he became tired of Freeman’s failures in working with his guns. Freeman had obtained through Williams a contract in for 1,000 Joslyn carbines and had been able to deliver only 200. Now Joslyn took over the business and moved the works to Stonington to his own Joslyn Firearms Company. Eight hundred and seventy-five Joslyn patent revolvers caliber .44 were bought from Joslyn himself at $22.50 each, between January and May, . An additional 225 appear to have been a Navy purchase. Private sales, mostly of Stonington make, may have totalled 2,000; serials up to about 3,000 have been seen. Williams’ supposed influence availed Joslyn and Freeman little in the way of selling guns to Government.
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