GUN FALL 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2017
VERY RARE FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION COLT MODEL 1860 FLUTED ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH 7-1/2" BARREL AND NAVY SIZE GRIP WITH FACTORY LETTER. COLT 1860 1521 44 Cal. 44 PERCUSSION. Very rare Colt 1860 Army with 7-1/2" rnd bbl, German silver front sight & 1-line block letter Hartford address. Left side of frame has tiny "COLTS PATENT". Frame is rare 4 screw-type, cut for shoulder stock with flat head hammer screw and extended stock yolk screws. Cylinder is rebated with full flutes and 6 chambers marked on the outside with the SN in one flute and patent date in another. Five of the six safety pins are serviceable. The silver-plated brass trigger guard & iron backstrap are Navy sized and contain a 1-pc walnut grip with matching SN in backstrap channel. According to The Book of Colt Firearms, Wilson, out of the more than 200,000 Model 1860 Army revolvers produced 1860-1873 fewer than 4,000 had fluted cylinders with the vast majority of those under serial number 8,000. Given that this revolver was produced in early 1861, just at the outset of the Civil War and it is well documented that several shipments of Model 1860 revolvers were shipped to Southern dealers. These early fluted Army revolvers are considered secondary Confederate arms. Accompanied by a Colt Factory letter which identifies this revolver in caliber 44 with 7-1/2" bbl, blue finish and wood stocks, shipped to the Colt New York office on Feb. 19,1861 in a 50 gun shipment. Since the Civil War did not officially commence until April 1861 and given the size of this shipment it seems likely that this revolver would have probably gone to the Confederacy. CONDITION: Very good to fine, all matching including wedge, cylinder & grip. Bbl retains traces of blue in sheltered areas being an overall smooth even blue/brown patina with rammer & handle matching patina. Frame retains very bright case colors on the sides, turning a little dark on the recoil shields and fading on the front left edge. Hammer retains about 60-70% equally bright case colors turned brown with light pitting on the nose and top edge. Cylinder retains thin blue in the flutes with a light blue/brown patina on the outer diameter. Trigger guard retains about 97-98% strong orig silver with a series of fine nicks on the trigger bow. Backstrap retains about 70% bubbly orig silver and the buttstrap about 90%. Grip shows heavy edge wear with usual light nicks & scratches and retains most of a fine restored varnish finish. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of pitting. 52705-5 JRL (7,500-12,500)