GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
RARE COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH SHOULDER STOCK. COLT 1860 ARMY 136923 .44 Cal. 44. Blue and color case hardened with 8" rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Frame is 3-screw type cut for shoulder stock and is marked "COLTS PATENT" on left side of frame. Cyl is rebated with Ormsby''s Naval battle scene roll marking. The unplated brass trigger guard and blued steel backstrap contain an oil finished, 1-pc walnut grip with last 4 digits of matching SN in backstrap channel. Both sides of grip have a legible cartouche and various parts have small inspector initials. Accompanied by a Type 4 shoulder stock with unplated brass yoke and carbine style buttplate. Bottom tang also has a sling stud and ring and it appears that the stock lug housing of the yoke has had a 3/8" extension added to the bottom. Bottom tang has the number "4" with matching numbered stock lug. It appears that this revolver was manufactured in 1863 at the height of the Civil War when any firearm was in great demand. Of the more than 200,000 revolvers of this model produced 1860-1873, the U.S. government purchased 127,156 of them during the Civil War period with another 2,200 purchased on the open market. Most of these revolvers saw extensive hard service throughout the war, it being the most popular sidearm in the Union Army, and later on the American frontier where they usually saw hard service under adverse conditions and are rarely found today with orig finish. Orig buttstocks are extremely rare with only a few produced. PROVENANCE: The Esteemed Collection of Steve Ardia. CONDITION: Fine to very fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains about 85-90% orig blue, strong and bright in sheltered areas with visible feathers by the front sight and rammer lug. Loss areas are from light wear. Rammer pivot retains dark case colors. Frame retains about 70% strong case colors, turned to silvery/brown on recoil shields. Hammer retains bright case colors on right side, fading elsewhere. Cyl is mostly a blue/brown patina with a few nicks & dings and shows about 60-70% naval battle scene roll marking. Trigger guard is a mellow brass patina. Backstrap retains 50-60% thin orig blue with the loss areas a medium patina. Grip has light battering on bottom right edge with light nicks & dings and retains most of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few spots of bright pitting. Shoulder stock is sound with light nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig oil finish. Yoke and buttplate are fine with a few dings on the yoke and both show a medium mustard patina. 49631-22 JR78 (10,000-15,000)