GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
FINE KIDDER CASED COLT MODEL 1849 POCKET PERCUSSION REVOLVER. Colt POCKET 176111 .31 Cal 31. Blue and color case hardened with 5" oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 2-line New York City address with brackets. Left side of frame is marked with a small "COLTS PATENT". Cyl is unfluted with 5 chambers and has the Stagecoach hold-up scene roll marking with 4 of the 5 safety pins serviceable. The silver-plated brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a varnished 1-pc walnut grip with last 4 digits of matching SN in backstrap channel. Accompanied by a fine brass bound mahogany casing lined in patterned blue velvet and compartmented in the bottom for the revolver, a double sided eagle & stars flask, a blued steel bullet & ball "COLT''S PATENT" mold with sprue cutter and a packet of 6 cal 31 combustible cartridges. The casing is marked on the top rear edge of the bottom "MANUFACTURED / SOLELY BY W.KIDDER." and also "PATENT APR. 1854.". This revolver was manufactured about 1860, just at the outset of the Civil War, a time in which any repeating firearm was in great demand. These little revolvers were highly sought after and very popular during the Civil War and thereafter on the American frontier until well into the 1870''s and even later around the world. While this model had a very high production run of over 300,000 pieces between 1850-1873, a comparable low percentage was cased. Few of those survive today and extremely few survive with high orig finish. PROVENANCE: The Esteemed Collection of Steve Ardia. CONDITION: Revolver is very fine to extremely fine, all matching including wedge, cyl and grip. Bbl retains about 90% glossy orig blue showing sharp edge wear and a small cleaned area on the left side with several nicks on the right side by the wedge slot. The rammer pivot retains bright case colors and rammer handle about all of its case colors mostly turned dark. Frame retains 96-98% orig case colors, lightly faded on recoil shields. Hammer retains dark case colors. Cyl is a dull blue patina and shows about 98% crisp Stagecoach hold-up scene roll marking with 4 of the safety pins serviceable. Trigger guard & backstrap retain about 15-20% orig silver turned dark. Grip is sound with slight edge wear and 1 small ding in the right bottom edge and retains virtually all of its bright orig varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with some fine pitting near the cyl end. Case is sound with a few light handling & storage marks and a small chip by the shield shaped lock escutcheon. Interior is lightly faded with light soil and a couple of wear spots with 1 small partition reattached. Flask is extremely fine, retaining about 98% orig finish. Mold is extremely fine with only a couple of small nicks, appears to be unused. Cartridge packet is equally new. Altogether a fine rare set. 49631-11 JR7 (6,500-9,500)