EXTRAORDINARILY RARE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1849 POCKET PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

EXTRAORDINARILY RARE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1849 POCKET PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 203523. Cal. 31. Usual configuration with 5″ oct. bbl, rare and unusual brass dovetail front sight with drift windage adjustment marks and one line “NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” address. Left side of the frame has small “Colt’s Patent” and it has large guard silver plated brass trigger guard and back strap containing a one piece walnut grip. The cylinder is stamped with the inspector initials “P / GG” and the buttstrap is stamped “UDC”. Cylinder additionally has the rolled stagecoach holdup scene. The wedge is also most unusual in that it has a spring compared to a simple groove as on most Models 1849. Accompanied by a large volume of research material and various magazine articles regarding the subject of martially inspected Colt 1849 pocket pistols. Several of the articles and correspondence are from Grayham Burnside, staff editor of The Gun Report wherein he discusses this particular revolver and together with Col. R. C. Kuhn have authenticated the markings as being correct military inspector markings. Other articles and correspondence detail identical markings on other handguns and shoulder arms. They identify the markings as follows: The “P” on the cylinder is a private purchase mark; the “GG” on the cylinder is the inspector mark of Guert Gansevoort who was a military inspector for a variety of military arms and edged weapons. He rose through the ranks from mid-shipman in 1823 and retired as a captain in 1867 and died in 1868. One large article by A. W. Lindert titled “U. S. Naval Martial Sidearms”, 1755-1875 dealt with these exact inspector markings and identified Mr. Gansevoort as the Navy inspector at the New York Navy yard as of June 1861. He further identifies the “UDC” marking on the buttstrap as the initials of the “Union Defense Committee”. The Union Defense Committee was apparently formed in about April 1861 in both Chicago and New York in response to President Lincoln’s call to raise troops and arms for the defense of the Union after the attack on Fort Sumpter. This article discloses that the Union Defense Committee purchased a large variety of arms, both handguns,shoulder arms and edge weapons, and most of the known items are marked identically to this revolver. The Union Defense Committee chartered the steamship Quaker City and armed her with cannon and a variety of Naval arms. Some of the known 1849 pocket revolvers are also marked “USN” at the top of the backstrap. These articles and correspondence accompanying this lot certainly lend credibility to the long thought beliefs that the Union Military did in fact purchase Colt Model 1849 pocket pistols although until the emergence of research conducted by Mr. Burnside and a few other of his contemporaries there was no definitive proof. PROVENANCE: From the Dr. Robert A. Bettis Collection; Dale Terry Collection; Dormal Allen Collection. CONDITION: About good, all matching except the rammer (#4617), the grip which is unnumbered or too dark to read and the cylinder arbor which has had the number obliterated. Wedge and cylinder are matching numbered. No original finish remains being an overall smooth gray cleaned metal finish with minor nicks and dings and scattered fine pitting. Trigger guard and backstrap are a cleaned light mustard patina with traces of original silver plating. Cylinder is a matching gray metal patina with clear markings and retains 15- 20% stagecoach holdup scene. Grip has chipped toes otherwise is sound with minor nicks and dings showing moderate heavy edge wear and retains most of an old restored finish. Mechanics are fine, worn dark bore with a small bulge about an 2″ from the muzzle. 4-39320 JR164 (2,750-3,500)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010

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
	2269	$4,255.00	EXTRAORDINARILY RARE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1849 POCKET PERCUSSION REVOLVER. SN 203523. Cal. 31. Usual configuration with 5″ oct. bbl, rare and unusual brass dovetail front sight with drift windage adjustment marks and one line “NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” address. Left side of the frame has small “Colt’s Patent” and it has large guard silver plated brass trigger guard and back strap containing a one piece walnut grip. The cylinder is stamped with the inspector initials “P / GG” and the buttstrap is stamped “UDC”. Cylinder additionally has the rolled stagecoach holdup scene. The wedge is also most unusual in that it has a spring compared to a simple groove as on most Models 1849. Accompanied by a large volume of research material and various magazine articles regarding the subject of martially inspected Colt 1849 pocket pistols. Several of the articles and correspondence are from Grayham Burnside, staff editor of The Gun Report wherein he discusses this particular revolver and together with Col. R. C. Kuhn have authenticated the markings as being correct military inspector markings. Other articles and correspondence detail identical markings on other handguns and shoulder arms. They identify the markings as follows: The “P” on the cylinder is a private purchase mark; the “GG” on the cylinder is the inspector mark of Guert Gansevoort who was a military inspector for a variety of military arms and edged weapons. He rose through the ranks from mid-shipman in 1823 and retired as a captain in 1867 and died in 1868. One large article by A. W. Lindert titled “U. S. Naval Martial Sidearms”, 1755-1875 dealt with these exact inspector markings and identified Mr. Gansevoort as the Navy inspector at the New York Navy yard as of June 1861. He further identifies the “UDC” marking on the buttstrap as the initials of the “Union Defense Committee”. The Union Defense Committee was apparently formed in about April 1861 in both Chicago and New York in response to President Lincoln’s call to raise troops and arms for the defense of the Union after the attack on Fort Sumpter. This article discloses that the Union Defense Committee purchased a large variety of arms, both handguns,shoulder arms and edge weapons, and most of the known items are marked identically to this revolver. The Union Defense Committee chartered the steamship Quaker City and armed her with cannon and a variety of Naval arms. Some of the known 1849 pocket revolvers are also marked “USN” at the top of the backstrap. These articles and correspondence accompanying this lot certainly lend credibility to the long thought beliefs that the Union Military did in fact purchase Colt Model 1849 pocket pistols although until the emergence of research conducted by Mr. Burnside and a few other of his contemporaries there was no definitive proof. PROVENANCE: From the Dr. Robert A. Bettis Collection; Dale Terry Collection; Dormal Allen Collection. CONDITION: About good, all matching except the rammer (#4617), the grip which is unnumbered or too dark to read and the cylinder arbor which has had the number obliterated. Wedge and cylinder are matching numbered. No original finish remains being an overall smooth gray cleaned metal finish with minor nicks and dings and scattered fine pitting. Trigger guard and backstrap are a cleaned light mustard patina with traces of original silver plating. Cylinder is a matching gray metal patina with clear markings and retains 15- 20% stagecoach holdup scene. Grip has chipped toes otherwise is sound with minor nicks and dings showing moderate heavy edge wear and retains most of an old restored finish. Mechanics are fine, worn dark bore with a small bulge about an 2″ from the muzzle. 4-39320 JR164 (2,750-3,500) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2010 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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