Make: Brooklyn Arms Co.

Model: Separate Chamber “Slocum” Pocket Revolver 

Serial#: 3273

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1863-1864, Antique 

Caliber: .32 Rimfire 

Action Type: Single-Action Side-Loaded Separate-Chamber Spur-Trigger Revolver with a 5-round Cylinder 

Markings: The right grip strap and grips are marked “H / 69”. The front of the frame is marked with the serial number “3273”. The right side of the frame is marked “1900” The barrel is marked “B.A. Co PATENT APRIL 14TH 1863”. 

Barrel Length: 3” 

Sights/ Optics: There is a brass bead fixed to the barrel near the muzzle. 

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are a two-piece smooth wood. The grips have some light handling marks, nicks, and scuffs. Notably, there is a small crack forming in the left grip panel. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition for Antiques. 

Type of Finish: Blued and Brass 

Finish Originality: Original; not refinished

Bore Condition: The bore is dark with dulled rifling. There is erosion concentrated in the grooves. In this writer’s opinion the borer rates at 5/10.

Typically, antique firearms have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to their age but also caused by using black powder. When fired, black powder reacts corrosively. NRA Antique Firearm Conditions Standards are quite lenient for bores. In some cases, the NRA standards disregard the bore’s condition altogether.

Overall Condition: The gun has 0% surviving metal finish. The brass frame is tarnished and has taken a dull almost copper hue, the frame has some patches of light-moderate oxidation and light handling marks. The cylinder, hammer, and barrel have been corroded and eroded through surface oxidation, there is some heavy pitting on the barrel and cylinder. The markings remain legible & clear. The screw heads are lightly tooled and remain serviceable. Overall, the revolver is in Very Good condition as an Antique. 

Mechanics: The cylinder does automatically rotate when the hammer is cocked. The action engages correctly. The gun is equipped with a detachable chamber for every provision on the cylinder (a total of 5). We have not fired this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box Paperwork and Accessories: None. 

Our Assessment: The Rollin White patent held by Smith and Wesson was weaponized by the company to prevent competitors from developing revolvers with bored-through cylinders. This forced other American gunmakers to develop various unorthodox workarounds that could fire metallic cartridges. Arguably one of the most interesting of these workarounds was developed by Frank P. Slocum of Brooklyn, New York in mid-1863. Rather than relying on a bored-through cylinder, Slocum’s revolver featured a method of loading rounds on the right side of each chamber using detachable inserts. The gun is loaded by putting the hammer on the half-cock position, rotating the cylinder to the desired chamber, pushing the insert forward onto a metal latch fixed to the cylinder pin on the right side, putting a round onto the cylinder, and replacing the insert over the round. 

The gun was produced by the Brooklyn Arms Company for only about a year, between 1863-64, which was in the middle of the Civil War. Despite such a short production run, the company made approximately 10,000 units and they had a reputation for being both reliable and relatively easy to handle. An ad for the gun by Howard Sanger & Co. in the January 21st, 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly (please note, this is 19th-century marketing and should not be taken literally) noted that the gun “does not require special ammunition”, the gun “can be loaded in the dark, and quicker than any other pistol”, plus “it can be carried in the pocket, without danger, when loaded” and “it is sure to fire, and possesses great strength.” Unfortunately, the gun was released at a time when the market for such guns was over-saturated and failed to exploit any market niche that allowed it to overshadow the competition (ie. S&W, Pond, and Moore). Although the gun’s original finish has worn off Its novelty remains. It is quite a rare and nicely preserved example of an ingenious firearm.