MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 6541. Cal. 36. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has a small “COLTS PATENT” and the brass trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with last three digits of SN in backstrap channel visible, first digit is obscured by soil. Right side of grip has a legible inspector’s cartouche and there are two small “L” and “H” inspector initials on the cyl. There is another “L” on the backstrap and a “C” on left side of bbl lug. Behind the trigger guard is stamped with a small “S”. Cyl is usual unfluted 6-shots with Ormsby Naval battle scene. These fine revolvers were produced 1861 through about 1873 with only 38,843 produced. According to Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms of the total production only “several hundred” were procured by the Union Army & Navy and are rarely with inspected grips. Given the early production date of this revolver, during the Civil War, and the fact that it is martially inspected makes it almost certain that this revolver was issued and used during the Civil War. To find one of these martially inspected ’61 Navys with high orig finish is a great rarity. Mr. Howard’s collection notes contains a letter to Herb Glass discussing a factory letter that had originally accompanied this revolver when it was sold at Butterfield Auction in 1991 which had disappeared by the time Mr. Howard re-purchased it in 2005 from Kurt House. He further states that this revolver was one of 499 guns in a shipment to the New York U.S. Army Arsenal in April 1862 and was one of only 2,300 of these revolvers purchased by the Army. PROVENANCE: Herb Glass (1980); Kurt House (2005); Robert Howard Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 92-94% orig blue with light muzzle edge wear and some thinning discoloration on left side; there are several hammer marks around wedge slot on right side; rammer handle retains about all of its orig case colors, bright on pivot, turning dark on handle; frame retains almost all of its orig bright case colors, thinned on left recoil shield; hammer retains strong case colors, fading to silver on top edge with a dressed nose; cyl is a blue/gray patina and shows 75-80% Ormsby Naval battle scene; grip is sound with lightly worn edges and very light nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig oil finish; grip frame, that was never silver plated, retains a medium mustard patina. Mechanics are fine, brilliant shiny bore. 4-45310 JR110 (10,000-15,000)

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
	1601	$14,950.00	MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 6541. Cal. 36. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2″ rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has a small “COLTS PATENT” and the brass trigger guard & back strap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with last three digits of SN in backstrap channel visible, first digit is obscured by soil. Right side of grip has a legible inspector’s cartouche and there are two small “L” and “H” inspector initials on the cyl. There is another “L” on the backstrap and a “C” on left side of bbl lug. Behind the trigger guard is stamped with a small “S”. Cyl is usual unfluted 6-shots with Ormsby Naval battle scene. These fine revolvers were produced 1861 through about 1873 with only 38,843 produced. According to Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms of the total production only “several hundred” were procured by the Union Army & Navy and are rarely with inspected grips. Given the early production date of this revolver, during the Civil War, and the fact that it is martially inspected makes it almost certain that this revolver was issued and used during the Civil War. To find one of these martially inspected ’61 Navys with high orig finish is a great rarity. Mr. Howard’s collection notes contains a letter to Herb Glass discussing a factory letter that had originally accompanied this revolver when it was sold at Butterfield Auction in 1991 which had disappeared by the time Mr. Howard re-purchased it in 2005 from Kurt House. He further states that this revolver was one of 499 guns in a shipment to the New York U.S. Army Arsenal in April 1862 and was one of only 2,300 of these revolvers purchased by the Army. PROVENANCE: Herb Glass (1980); Kurt House (2005); Robert Howard Estate Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 92-94% orig blue with light muzzle edge wear and some thinning discoloration on left side; there are several hammer marks around wedge slot on right side; rammer handle retains about all of its orig case colors, bright on pivot, turning dark on handle; frame retains almost all of its orig bright case colors, thinned on left recoil shield; hammer retains strong case colors, fading to silver on top edge with a dressed nose; cyl is a blue/gray patina and shows 75-80% Ormsby Naval battle scene; grip is sound with lightly worn edges and very light nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig oil finish; grip frame, that was never silver plated, retains a medium mustard patina. Mechanics are fine, brilliant shiny bore. 4-45310 JR110 (10,000-15,000) 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}