GUN FALL 2017
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.
RARE COLT FLUTED MODEL 1860 ARMY REVOLVER SHIPPED TO CONFEDERATE TEXAS GENERAL BEN MCCULLOCH WITH FACTORY LETTER. COLT ARMY 2366/2537 44 Cal. 44. The largest order of Colt 1860 Army's received pre-war and shipped to the Confederacy were 1,000 guns shipped to Ben McCulloch via agents Kittredge & Folsom, New Orleans. These guns were shipped between March 28 - April 9, 1861. This particular gun was in that last shipment 3 days prior to the firing on Ft. Sumter. These guns are relatively scarce and usually found worn out and usually in altered condition. These guns are well documented by John Parsons in a March 1955 issue of the Texas Gun Collector and the 1959 publication of Jim Mitchell's book on Colt which publishes McCulloch's letters to Colt. Samuel Colt who was a close friend of former Texas Ranger Ben McCullouch. Mr. Donaldson did not note in his papers where he uncovered this gun, but a Colt Factory Letter indeed lists it shipped to New Orleans April 9, 1861 to Kittredge. The cylinder is mis-matched from SN 2537, but no doubt a factory letter would most likely identify it as a Ben McCulloch gun also. PROVENANCE: The Confederate and Civil War estate collection of Fred Donaldson. CONDITION: Good to very good overall. Metal overall cleaned to a grey patina with discernible 1-line Hartford address, holster wear. Cylinder has patent markings in adjacent flute to SN "2537". Bbl, frame, cylinder pin, trigger guard and backstrap all have matching SN "2366". Wedge is un-serialized replacement. Orig Colt grips have hand worn patina with indiscernible inked SN. Mechanically sound with discernible rifling 52438-19 JS (4,000-6,000)