GUN FALL 2015
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/5/2015
RARE NEW HAMPSHIRE MARKED COLT DRAGOON 2ND MODEL PERCUSSION REVOLVER. COLT DRAGOON 2ND MODEL 10180 44 Cal. 44. Rare New Hampshire Dragoon, blue and color case hardened with 7-1/2" oct to rnd bbl, nickel silver front sight and right hand address. Left side of bbl lug is marked "NEW HAMPSHIRE". Left side of frame has a tiny "COLT'S PATENT" over a tiny "U.S.". The square back brass trigger guard & backstrap contain an oil finished 1-pc walnut grip with clear, legible "JH" inspector cartouche on left side and "WAT" (William A. Thornton) sub-inspector cartouche on the right side. Almost every part on the revolver has tiny inspector initials. Cylinder has the Ormsby Dragoon-Indian fight scene roll marking and "MODEL U.S.M.R." and "COLT'S PATENT" cartouches surrounding the SN. Rear face of cylinder has all 6 safety pins serviceable. Buttstrap has 2 small filled squares with another centered on the backstrap and a 4th one at top of backstrap, apparently where this backstrap had been used to test an attachable shoulder stock and was recycled onto this revolver. There were only about 2700 of this Model Dragoon produced 1850-1851 with about 1000 of them on government contract. This was the lowest production of all the Dragoon models and of that limited production, only a few hundred were issued to the NH & MA militias. PROVENANCE: The Estate Collection of Phil A. Bleakney, Jr. CONDITION: Very good to fine, all matching including wedge, cylinder & grip. Only the first 4 digits of the SN are visible in backstrap channel of grip. Bbl retains traces of orig blue, stronger & brighter under the loading lever, being mostly a grey patina with a few scattered spots of surface rust. Rammer & pivot are grey patina. Frame is also a grey patina with some light pitting on recoil shields. Cylinder is matching grey patina with 3 or 4 areas of light surface pitting and shows about 75-80% Dragoon-Indian fight scene roll marking and clear, legible cartouches surrounding the serial number. Trigger guard & backstrap are cleaned brass patina. Grip is sound, showing light edge wear with a couple of nicks on the right side and shows a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine. Strong bore with scattered pitting. 49059-226 JR (10,000-15,000)