October 25, 2023 The Paul Friedrich Collection of Firearms & Gold Rush
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/25/2023
Manufactured 1856 as per serial number. Third model with a small brass trigger guard. Standard configuration with 7 - 1/2" octagonal barrel, silver plated brass straps and trigger guard, New York address on top flat of barrel, "COLTS / PATENT" on left side of frame. Unusual checkered ivory grips. Matching numbers observed on barrel assembly, frame, trigger guard, and butt; partial matching "5887" on wedge and loading assembly. Revolver is housed in a leather revolver tooled with various incised designs including simple lines, florals, and dressed edges. CONDITION: Good. Barrel retains good amounts of bluing, approximately 30-40%, with scattered areas of browning coming through the blue and silvering to edges and scattered as handling marks. Rammer has case colors mostly on lug, approximately 5%, balance gunmetal grey. Frame is gunmetal grey with faint traces of case coloring in protected areas. Hammer replaced. Cylinder cleaned to a bright dove grey, with softened but legible cylinder scene; safety notches heavily worn but visible. Grips are period replacements that have shrunk and no longer fit. Silver plate stands at about 25-30%, with straps now essentially brass and scattered losses consistent with trafficked areas line sides of trigger guard. Mechanically fine, bore has strong, well-defined rifling and some oxidation in grooves. Leather with extensive crazing to hinges and strap; stitching is tight but broken in a few areas. Tooling is somewhat softened and edges have some scrapes. Based on where the letter has crystallized and the wear patterns, the revolver has been in this holster for some time.
Caliber/Bore
.36 Percussion