Make: Brooklyn Arms Co.

Model: Separate Chamber “Slocum” Pocket Revolver

Serial#: 8141

Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1863-1864

Caliber: .32 Rimfire

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

Barrel Length: 3”

Sights/ Optics: There is a brass bead fixed by the muzzle and a shallow groove along the topstrap.

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grip panels are two-piece smooth wood. The inside of each panel is marked with the assembly number "43". The grips have some light handling marks, nicks and small scratches. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Blue & Silver-Plated Brass

Finish Originality: Original, serial and assembly numbers are matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 5 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This revolver retains about 10% of its metal finish. The iron and steel parts have worn to white or gone to a light patina, showing scattered surface erosion, some minor pitting, and tool marks on each side of the barrel. The frame has a little scattered remaining silver plate in exposed surfaces with stronger silver under the grips. There are some small nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly disfigured with a usable slot. The brass markings are clear, the markings on the iron and steel parts are partially obscured by erosion, mostly legible. Overall, this revolver is in about Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: The chamber retaining tab is loose and will fall up or down based on the orientation of the revolver. Otherwise, the action engages correctly. 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 American gunmakers to develop various work-arounds which could fire metallic cartridges. One of the most interesting of these was developed by Frank P. Slocum of Brooklyn, New York in mid-1863.

Rather than using a bored through cylinder, Slocum’s revolver featured a cylinder using detachable chamber inserts. The gun is loaded by putting the hammer on the half-cock position, pushing an insert forward onto a fixed ejector rod, putting a round onto the cylinder and replacing the insert. The gun was produced by the Brooklyn Arms Company for about a year, between 1863-1864, in the middle of the Civil War. Despite a short production run, the company made approximately 10,000 units and they developed a good reputation. An advertisement for the gun by Howard Sanger & Co. in 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...can be loaded in the dark, and quicker than any other pistol...it can be carried in the pocket, without danger, when loaded...it is sure to fire, and possesses great strength.”.

Unfortunately, the gun was released when the market for such guns was over-saturated and failed to exploit any market niche that allowed it to overshadow the competition. This example is in better shape than any of us will be a 160 years old, retaining a little original silver plate and decent mechanics. Please see our photos and good luck!