Description
This old gem turned up in an estate tag sale near Houston, Texas just a few weeks ago. The family had lived in Texas since after the Civil War and the home was built in the 1840s. This Model 1851 .36 caliber percussion pistol was found while cleaning out the attic after the property sold.
The family had no clue it was even there, much less who actually owned it. The term “Navy” merely reflects the caliber of the handgun…not who used it or where. The action is a bit sloppy but it will cock and the cylinder will rotate. This gun was fired…A LOT! The primary serial number is 109,702 which means it was manufactured in mid-February to early March of 1861.
It is in absolute honest untouched as found condition overall and the patina is superb! Neatly carved in the bottom of the butt is a name… “J. HEG.” The right grip also has something scratched in it but it is illegible from wear and use. A quick record search shows several people with the last name HEG but none with the first initial “J” in the available military records.
This is one of those weapons that could likely tell MANY stories—and with diligent research, you might find some great clues. The home was the residence at one time of a widow, Virginia Heg, who died in the late 1960s—there is a very good chance the weapon belonged to an ancestor of her late husband.
