RARE CASED COLT BABY DRAGOON PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

RARE CASED COLT BABY DRAGOON PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 8634. Cal. 31. Blue & color case hardened with 4″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 2-line New-York left hand address with dashes. Left side of frame has a forward located “COLTS PATENT” and the square back silver plated brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with the matching SN in backstrap channel. Hammer is first type without roller and it has a flat hammer spring mounted to a Type III Boss. Cyl spindle is matching numbered with cupped tip and is without grease grooves. Hammer nose is second type and the right recoil shield has a capping cutout with no loading notch on bbl lug. Cyl is usual 5-shots with Dragoon/Indian fight scene and semi-oval stop notches. It has a sgl safety pin which is partially battered but serviceable. Frame is the short type with short forcing cone. Wedge is the early type without spring. Accompanied by its orig blue velvet lined mahogany casing compartmented in bottom for the revolver, a dbl sided early eagle flask, a 2-cavity “COLTS PATENT” brass bullet & ball mold without sprue cutter, an L-shaped nipple wrench and a small lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. Right rear compartment contains several lead bullets & balls. According to the chart found on p. 41 of Colt’s Patent Pocket ’49 It’s Evolution, Jordan & Watt, only an estimated 2,000 rammerless Baby Dragoons were ever produced with left hand addresses with dashes. Given that this was Colt’s first attempt at a pocket revolver beginning in 1848, it became extremely popular on the American frontier especially with the 49er miners, in the Northwest Territories and into the Alaskan gold fields. They continued in service throughout the Civil War and back on the American frontier well into the 1870s when they were supplanted by the advent of self-contained cartridge revolvers. Most of these small revolvers were subjected to continuous hard service under adverse conditions with little or no maintenance and are rarely found today with high orig finish. Even more rare is a cased model such as this one. Mr. Howard’s collection notes state he purchased the cased and accessories separately from Herb Glass. PROVENANCE: Tom Wibberley (1994); Robert Howard Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 80-85% strong orig blue turning slightly plum with some very minor flaking. Frame & hammer retain dark case colors. Trigger guard & back strap retain about all of their strong orig silver plating with a few minor nicks & scratches. Cyl retains traces of orig blue with a visible pressure ridge and shows 80-85% Dragoon/Indian fight scene roll marking and has the one serviceable safety pin. Grip is sound showing light edge wear and several minor nicks & scratches in the varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of light pitting. Case has a couple of grain checks in the bottom, otherwise is sound with light handling & storage marks & light soil. Interior is lightly faded with light to moderate soil in bottom with one partially loose partition and some light damage from the front sight. Flask has a few small dents, otherwise retains strong finish under a coating of applied shellac. Mold has several light nicks & scratches and shows evidence of having been draw filed, with clean cavities. Nipple wrench & cap tin are fine. Case is missing front escutcheon. 4-45370 JR49 (15,000-20,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1595	$20,700.00	RARE CASED COLT BABY DRAGOON PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 8634. Cal. 31. Blue & color case hardened with 4″ oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 2-line New-York left hand address with dashes. Left side of frame has a forward located “COLTS PATENT” and the square back silver plated brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with the matching SN in backstrap channel. Hammer is first type without roller and it has a flat hammer spring mounted to a Type III Boss. Cyl spindle is matching numbered with cupped tip and is without grease grooves. Hammer nose is second type and the right recoil shield has a capping cutout with no loading notch on bbl lug. Cyl is usual 5-shots with Dragoon/Indian fight scene and semi-oval stop notches. It has a sgl safety pin which is partially battered but serviceable. Frame is the short type with short forcing cone. Wedge is the early type without spring. Accompanied by its orig blue velvet lined mahogany casing compartmented in bottom for the revolver, a dbl sided early eagle flask, a 2-cavity “COLTS PATENT” brass bullet & ball mold without sprue cutter, an L-shaped nipple wrench and a small lacquered tin of Eley’s caps. Right rear compartment contains several lead bullets & balls. According to the chart found on p. 41 of Colt’s Patent Pocket ’49 It’s Evolution, Jordan & Watt, only an estimated 2,000 rammerless Baby Dragoons were ever produced with left hand addresses with dashes. Given that this was Colt’s first attempt at a pocket revolver beginning in 1848, it became extremely popular on the American frontier especially with the 49er miners, in the Northwest Territories and into the Alaskan gold fields. They continued in service throughout the Civil War and back on the American frontier well into the 1870s when they were supplanted by the advent of self-contained cartridge revolvers. Most of these small revolvers were subjected to continuous hard service under adverse conditions with little or no maintenance and are rarely found today with high orig finish. Even more rare is a cased model such as this one. Mr. Howard’s collection notes state he purchased the cased and accessories separately from Herb Glass. PROVENANCE: Tom Wibberley (1994); Robert Howard Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 80-85% strong orig blue turning slightly plum with some very minor flaking. Frame & hammer retain dark case colors. Trigger guard & back strap retain about all of their strong orig silver plating with a few minor nicks & scratches. Cyl retains traces of orig blue with a visible pressure ridge and shows 80-85% Dragoon/Indian fight scene roll marking and has the one serviceable safety pin. Grip is sound showing light edge wear and several minor nicks & scratches in the varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with a few scattered spots of light pitting. Case has a couple of grain checks in the bottom, otherwise is sound with light handling & storage marks & light soil. Interior is lightly faded with light to moderate soil in bottom with one partially loose partition and some light damage from the front sight. Flask has a few small dents, otherwise retains strong finish under a coating of applied shellac. Mold has several light nicks & scratches and shows evidence of having been draw filed, with clean cavities. Nipple wrench & cap tin are fine. Case is missing front escutcheon. 4-45370 JR49 (15,000-20,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2012 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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