GUN FALL 2015
The live portion of this session begins on Monday, October 5, 2015.
FACTORY ENGRAVED AND INSCRIBED COLT NEW MODEL 1861 NAVY REVOLVER COL. COLT PRESENTATION TO CAPT. J.C. COMSTOCK OF THE HARTFORD LIGHT GUARD. COLT 1861 NEW MODEL NAVY 18670 IE 36 C&R; IVORY Cal. 36. 7-1/2" bbl, full silver finish, "certifiable antique ivory" grips, engraved by C.F. Ulrich, iron backstrap inscribed "Col. Colt to Capt. J.C. Comstock / Hartford Light Guard". Capt. John C. Comstock of Company A 1st Regiment Connecticut Volunteers was a personal friend of Sam Colt and was a member of the Hartford Militia. He led his men at the First Battle of Bull Run in June 1861 and was at the point of the spear in the first Union advance of the war, which turned into a rout of Union forces known as the "Great Skedaddle". Comstock became consumptive and died in early 1862, about one month after his friend Col. Colt died. PROVENANCE: Accompanying this gun is a 12 pg letter from noted Colt authority and author R.L. Wilson touting the importance of this significant revolver. Also included are service records and muster roll records for Captain Comstock. CONDITION: Fine. Pistol retains 60% silver finish overall with some loss of finish on the bbl lug, frame and cyl. Cyl retains 60% of a clear cyl scene with visible engaged date. Six safety pins are intact on cyl. "M 53" stamped on the webs at the rear of the cyl. Ivory grips are orig and numbered to gun. SNs are matching on frame, bbl, trigger guard, backstrap, cyl, wedge and arbor. Engraving is of the late vine style with fine scroll work lacking any punch dot background. "Colt''s Patent" engraved left side frame. Bbl shows fine scroll with a beaded pattern, common to other Ulrich engraved revolvers. Inscription on the very rare iron backstrap is perfectly accomplished. "No more exotic and appealing Colt firearms were made than those used as presentations by the Colonel himself". (R. L. Wilson) 49514-2 TEP (25,000-35,000)