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RARE MARTIALLY MARKED FIRST MODEL SQUARE BACK COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:7,000.00 USD Estimated At:14,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD
RARE MARTIALLY MARKED FIRST MODEL SQUARE BACK COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY REVOLVER.
SN 588. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2" oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1 line New York City address with dashes. Left side of frame has a tiny Colt's patent over a tiny U.S. Cyl is usual 6 shots with Ormsby Naval Battle Scene roll marking. The small square back brass trigger guard and backstrap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with a spurious matching number in the backstrap channel. The wedge and screw are the 1st type with the screw below the wedge and correspondingly the cyl arbor has the 1st type notch in the top versus the slot in the arbor for the later types. Rammer pivot screw enters from the right. Wedge is an unnumbered replacement. According to '51 Colt Navies, Swayze, there were about 1,250 of these revolvers, however a recent study by Mr. Philip Boulton of South Hampton, England credibly projects that in reality only about 1,000 of these rare revolvers were ever produced. Mr. Boulton lists this revolver, by SN, in his study. Mr. Boulton refers to the First Model Navy as the Model of 1850. Regardless of the actual number produced, whether 1,000 or 1,250, these First Model Navies are extremely rare. Information contained in an article by George Nikolas, which appeared in the October 2000 Gun Report, disclosed that there may have been 1st Model 1851 Navy revolvers that were part of the fifty firearms gifted to the Emperor of Japan by Admiral Perry when he visited Japan in July 1853. According to other information provided by Robert Jordan, at present there are only eighteen known 1st Model Navies with the "US" marking. PROVENANCE: Dr. John Pickup Collection. CONDITION: Very good, all matching except wedge and grip as noted; no orig finish remains on the steel parts, being a mottled gray brown patina with scattered light surface pitting; cyl is matching patina with fine pitting and retains 20-25% Ormsby Naval Battle Scene; trigger guard and backstrap retain about 90% strong orig silver plating; the trigger and lock bolt screws are battered; grip is an orig Navy grip and may be orig to this revolver as it fits extremely well. Grip has chipped left toe, otherwise is sound, showing heavy wear and retains about 50-60% orig varnish. Mechanics are fine, strong dark bore with moderate pitting. 4-46425 JR91