This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/20/2026
This revolver is a Manhattan Arms Navy Series IV with classic octagonal barrel, German silver blade front sight, and matching serial numbers on barrel assembly, frame, trigger guard, and butt. The grips have an inked serial number in back channel, but illegible. The provenance with this revolver unequivocally states that not only was this revolver used by the legendary outlaw Jesse James, but also that it was specifically used at the Russellville robbery of the Southern Bank of Kentucky. A letter jointly signed by Jesse Edwards James, Jesse James’s son, and Stella James, his daughter-in-law, lists this gun by serial number and states “…the pistol we are about to describe was used by outlaw Jesse James during the riad [sic] on the Russelville, Kentucky Bank, several years after the close of the Civil War. This is a .36 Caliber pistol, percussion type, Manhattan Arms, Serial 64240 on=all parts, and Frank James told us that this gun was used by Jesse James as described herein.” The letter further notes that the gun was given to Carl W. Breihan, the noted western author and investigator, as compensation for disproving the claims of J. Frank Dalton, who claimed to be Jesse James. A second notarized letter by Carl Breihan also recounts being given the gun by Jesse E. James and his wife for exposing J. Frank Dalton. There is also a letter from Jim Supica, the NRA Museums Director, reviewing the provenance. He grades it on his scale developed for rating credibility and finds it to be Probable, the second highest rating; he notes that this represents a high level of confidence in outlaw-related firearms, as most guns of that type have apocryphal provenance. Jesse James was born in Missouri on September 5th, 1847 to a tobacco farming family. The looming Civil War caused significant tension in the area, and the family threw their lot in with the Confederacy. Jesse's older brother Frank joined Drew Lobbs Army and fought at Wilson's Creek before he returned home due to illness. By 1863 he was operating as a bushwhacker in the Clay County area and was wanted by Union forces, who raided the family home, torturing a young Jesse James and their stepfather, Reuben Samuel, to try and find Frank. Following his brother’s footsteps, Jesse joined the Confederate cause as a bushwhacker when he was 16. The brothers operated under “Bloody Bill” Anderson for a period, where they took part in the Battle of Centralia and subsequent Centralia Massacre, where they ambushed Major Johnston. Frank James would later identify Jesse as the man who fatally shot Johnston. Famously, the Confederates were able to overcome the Union forces as while the Union were using muskets, the Confederates preferred braces of percussion revolvers, presenting much more firepower; no doubt this training influenced James’s preference for pistols in his later life. At the end of the war, Jesse was shot while reportedly attempting to surrender and would spend the next several months recovering, including at a boardinghouse in Harlem, Missouri, owned by his uncle. Once recovered and trying to find his footing in a post-War world, James would turn his talents as a bushwhacker to more lucrative ventures. In what is believed to be the first daylight robbery of a bank in the United States and the first of the spree that was associated with Jesse James, the James-Younger gang robbed the Clay County Savings Association of nearly $60,000 of gold, silver, and cash. Today, the bank is the Jesse James Bank Museum, dedicated to the event. It is unclear if Jesse was personally involved in the raid, as he may have still been laid-up recuperating. The second robbery, and the one intimately tied to the history of this revolver, was the robbery at Russellville, Kentucky. In March 1868, a man using the alias Thomas Coleman attempted to sell a bond, but it was rejected as it was believed to be counterfeit. Days later, he attempted to exchange another note, this time a $100, and was again denied, but this time he was accompanied by another man who appeared very interested in the layout of the bank. Finally, on March 20th, 1868, Coleman would try again to exchange a bill, but this time accompanied by up to eight men. When he was once again informed that his bill appeared counterfeit, he and his compatriots drew revolvers and demanded money. When the bank president scrambled to escape, he was shot at and hit in the scalp; legend says that the bullet hole is still in the wall of the bank today. The bank employees were forced to load sacks full of money, and the gang made off with somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000. Most documentation regarding Jesse James begins with the robbery at Gallatin, Missouri, where the gang robbed the Daviess County Savings Association and killed Captain John Sheets, who was misidentified as Samuel Cox, who was responsible for the death of the brothers’ mentor William “Bloody Bill” Anderson, but the James brothers were likely involved in robberies as far back as the Clay County and Russellville robberies. There is one intriguing possibility with this gun, which goes as such: having attempted to surrender at the end of the Civil War and been shot, Jesse James loses his revolvers during his recovery, either during his travels or while he is being shuffled around various locations. During this time, the James-Younger gang robs the Clay County Savings Association, putting their talents as bushwhackers to use. Once recovered, Jesse James decides to join his former compatriots, and, without access to extensive resources, purchases a cheap but widely respected percussion revolver like the kind he carried as a bushwhacker, and participated in his first robbery at Russellville. CONDITION: Very good, essentially a smooth gunmetal grey throughout with softening to legends and sharp edges consistent with hard use. Straps and trigger guard with flashes of silver at protected areas, such as at web and top of strap, balance a golden brass. Two frame screws replaced. Mechanically fine, a little soft, bore with strong rifling and some heavy frosting, particularly in the second half of the barrel. This is an outstanding example of the true days of the Wild West, and associated with one of the most notorious outlaws of the time, in a tangible way that very few pieces are or hope to be.
Manufacturer
Manhattan Firearms