The inventor, Ebenezer Townsend Starr, was born August 16, 1816 into a family well known in the business environment of New York. His factories produced different guns but he devised three revolvers only : a double action .36 cal., a double action .44 cal and a single action .44 cal. The project of the first revolver, named STARR D.A. MODEL 1858 NAVY .36 cal., was patented in 1856. The two piece blued frame was held together by a knurled thumb screw which was located on the right side of the frame between the recoil shield and hammer. The cylinder rotated thanks to a conic segment of the same, lodged in the recoil shield, and to a strong pin located under the barrel, which kept in line the chambers and the barrel itself. Unfortunately, towards the middle of 1863, he was forced, due to the strong competition of Colt, Remington and Smith & Wesson, to turn his genial revolver from double action into single action, still in .44 cal. He could then produce an efficient and affordable weapon, the STARR S.A. MODEL 1863 ARMY .44 cal. Before the end of the war
the quantity produced was 47,500 pieces, however after 1865 Starr could not be competitive and, two years later, he ceased the production of guns.
F.lli. Pietta of Italy is putting out a pretty nice reproduction of this line. They may already be available. The Union fellow who thought the inventor of the Starr should be hung either had a vested intrest in one of those competing companies or couldn't deal with a handgun that was a bit more complex than a Colt or Remington. Hanging seems a bit extreme.