Cofer, Thomas Wrenn

Name	Street	Town	State	From	To
Cofer, Thomas W.		Portsmouth	Virginia	1860	1862
Cofer, Thomas W.		Norfolk	Virginia	1865

Patent	Date	Remarks
CS Patent No. 9	August 12, 1861	Revolving pistol with two-piece cylinder patent drawing patent claims

Contract	for
Confederate States of America	17 revolvers for Capt. Edgar Burrough's Company, 5th Virginia Cavalry
Confederate States of America	65 revolvers

Product
Thomas W. Cofer, born about 1827, died in 1885. Before the Civil War Cover worked for his cousin P.D. Gwaltney. In 1860 or early 1861 he started his own business. Very few arms, mainly shotguns have survived. Production is estimated at about 100 firearms which is probably not correct. The National Archives in Washington have papers showing that Cofer delivered seventeen revolvers to Capt. Edgar Burrough's Company, 5th Virginia Cavalry on January 18, 1862 and sixty-five more on February 5, 1862. It is stated that these revolvers were part of a contract with Thomas W. Cofer. therefore, I believe there were more than 100 guns made. Especially as after the Civil War h continued to make guns in Norfolk, Virginia. Cofer produced three distinctive models before Portmouth fell in early May of 1862: 1 A percussion cartridge revolver with his patented split-cylinder for special reloadable cartridges. Known is one in .36 caliber and an other in .33 caliber with shorter cylinder. 2 A percussion cartridge revolver with single-piece cylinder for an improved reloadable cartridge. Only one is known. 3 Standard percussion revolver of which about a dozen are known so far. .36 caliber cartridge, 6 shot revolver, octagonal barrel, brass frame, single action, two piece cylinder, top strap marked T.W. COFER'S PATENT / AUGUST 1861, the barrel is marked PORTSMOUTH CA. right side left side cylinder close view Cofer produced special cartridge to use in his split-cylinder revolver and his single-spece cylinder revolver. cartridges for first type revolver cartridges for second type revolver .36 caliber percussion, 6 shot single action revolver (Whitney navy pattern), brass frame, octagon barrel which is marked either T.W. Cofer Patent AUGUST 1861 or T.W. Cofer's Patent. Some guns are stamped Portsmouth VA. Maybe 140 had been manufactured and only few are known to have survived today. Among them the no. 1. right side Cofer marking on frame

Product

Thomas W. Cofer, born about 1827, died in 1885. Before the Civil War Cover worked for his cousin P.D. Gwaltney. In 1860 or early 1861 he started his own business. Very few arms, mainly shotguns have survived.

Production is estimated at about 100 firearms which is probably not correct. The National Archives in Washington have papers showing that Cofer delivered seventeen revolvers to Capt. Edgar Burrough's Company, 5th Virginia Cavalry on January 18, 1862 and sixty-five more on February 5, 1862. It is stated that these revolvers were part of a contract with Thomas W. Cofer. therefore, I believe there were more than 100 guns made. Especially as after the Civil War h continued to make guns in Norfolk, Virginia.

Cofer produced three distinctive models before Portmouth fell in early May of 1862:
1 A percussion cartridge revolver with his patented split-cylinder for special reloadable cartridges. Known is one in .36 caliber and an other in .33 caliber with shorter cylinder.
2 A percussion cartridge revolver with single-piece cylinder for an improved reloadable cartridge. Only one is known.
3 Standard percussion revolver of which about a dozen are known so far.

.36 caliber cartridge, 6 shot revolver, octagonal barrel, brass frame, single action, two piece cylinder, top strap marked T.W. COFER'S PATENT / AUGUST 1861, the barrel is marked PORTSMOUTH CA.

right side
left side
cylinder close view

Cofer produced special cartridge to use in his split-cylinder revolver and his single-spece cylinder revolver.

cartridges for first type revolver
cartridges for second type revolver

.36 caliber percussion, 6 shot single action revolver (Whitney navy pattern), brass frame, octagon barrel which is marked either T.W. Cofer Patent AUGUST 1861 or T.W. Cofer's Patent. Some guns are stamped Portsmouth VA. Maybe 140 had been manufactured and only few are known to have survived today. Among them the no. 1.

right side
Cofer marking on frame