June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/26/2018
Full or partial serial number can be found stamped on the following: frame, barrel, cylinder, brass trigger guard, brass backstrap, wedge, cylinder post and loading lever. Barrel address is New York City. Cylinder scene is only slightly visible, has all original nipples and safety pins are worn. Frame is stamped "COLT'S PATENT". "912" stamped on top of backstrap with a very faded "KM" above the number, visible but not totally readable. Brass has been cleaned. All steel parts are basically grey patina. Cylinder shows overall salt and pepper texture. Screw heads are generally straight with only slight marring. Grips have been refinished and are missing chip at both front toe with a slight stress crack on right side; slightly shy to metal having been refinished. Strong, visible rifling with minor black powder abrasion. The "KM" marked 1851 Navies were shipped in two orders of 500 each for issue to the Austrian Navy. According to the book "51 Colt Navies" by N. Swayze, serial number range was 31000 to 32000. Serial number on this revolver is 1,000 beyond that number but the font of the number "9" on backstrap matches precisely to that seen on page 180 for gun serial No. 596. This serial range may have one of the 3,000 shipped to Russia in 1855 that was captured by the Austrian Government and issued to their Navy as well; had the gun been manufactured in late 1853, it is possible it could have been in inventory in 1854 which might explain the stamping on this gun outside the original order of 1,000 Navies to Austria. This is only a theory as there are no documents to back up this claim. Further research may reveal the explanation for the existence of this revolver.
Caliber/Bore
.36 Percussion