1331

EXTREMELY RARE COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY CONVERSION REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:15,000.00 USD Estimated At:30,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
EXTREMELY RARE COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY CONVERSION REVOLVER.
SN 8875. Cal. 38 CF. Usual configuration with 7-1/2" rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left front web of the trigger guard is marked "36 CAL". Revolver is a Richards-Mason style conversion that has a loading gate in the conversion ring and ejector housing attached to the right side of the bbl lug. Ejector rod head is half moon shape and probably a period of use replacement. Revolver is mounted with orig Tiffany grip that has Civil War battle scene vignettes on each side with a large shield & trophy of arms on the back strap and an empty initial oval near the top. Butt cap is a wonderful bas-relief American eagle clutching arrows in its talons. Grip cap & grip have last three digits of matching SN. Revolver is beautifully engraved in New York style, probably from the L.D. Nimschke shop, with full coverage foliate arabesque patterns on the frame which extend onto the bbl and each side of the muzzle. Ejector housing is engraved in a rope & foliate pattern and the cyl in matching foliate arabesque patterns with a running vine border around the rear edge. Hammer is engraved with a wolf's head on each side of the hammer nose. SN on the bbl lug & trigger guard are accompanied by a small punch dot indicating that this revolver was to receive extra polish for engraving and/or plating and it appears that this revolver was originally silver plated. Accompanied by two pages copied from a Jackson Arms catalog which illustrate this revolver as one of a pair, the other of which is SN "9200". The description of this pair states that they "went out of the factory as a pair". The description also states "At the moment we can think of only one other such pair of guns in existence". A note from a subsequent owner indicates that this catalog was from the 1965-1975 period. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms only about 2,200 of these rare revolvers were produced in the mid-1870s and it appears that this one was one of the civilian model 1861 Navy percussion revolvers which was returned to the factory for conversion. CONDITION: Fine, all matching except wedge which is unnumbered. Traces of orig silver remain, being mostly a smooth gray metal patina overall; hammer nose is lightly pitted on both sides; trigger guard retains about 25% orig silver with the balance a medium mustard patina. Tiffany grip retains about 75% silver plating in the sheltered areas with the raised areas showing brass & copper finish; buttcap retains most of its orig silver turned dark. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore with scattered pitting. A truly exceptional & rare Colt. 4-48162 JR304