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RARE CASED ENGRAVED COLT 3RD MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:20,000.00 USD Estimated At:40,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
RARE CASED ENGRAVED COLT 3RD MODEL 1851 NAVY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.
SN 63849. Cal. .36. Blue and color case hardened with 7-1/2" oct bbl. Scarce dovetailed blade front sight with 1-line New York City address. Left side of frame is marked with a tiny "COLTS PATENT" over a tiny "US". Silver-plated brass trigger guard and backstrap are mounted with a spectacular Colt 1-pc checkered ivory grip that has a raised carved, highly detailed American eagle & shield on left side. Grip is numbered to another revolver. Revolver is wonderfully engraved by Gustave Young in deluxe full-coverage patterns consisting of foliate arabesque scrolls, some of which terminate in flower blossoms. Frame has full coverage engraving which extends over sides of bbl lug and top side flats of bbl with matching patterns on the ramrod pivot. English style round head screws are also engraved. Cylinder is usual 6 shots with Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking and all six safety pins are prominent and serviceable. Backstrap, buttstrap and trigger guard are engraved in matching patterns with light fan at top of backstrap. Although rammer handle is numbered 7912, and does not match the numbers on the gun, it absolutely was engraved at the same time as rest of revolver by the same hand. SN's are all accompanied by small punch dot which indicates a special order for finer polish and finish. Accompanied by a wonderful, orig, green velvet-lined rosewood casing with empty gold-washed bass plate in lid. Interior is French-fitted for revolver, a dbl-sided floral Hawksley flask, which appears to be a replacement, 2-cavity blued "COLT'S PATENT" bullet mold, L-shaped nipple wrench, packet of 6 combustible cartridges, small tin of UMC caps and cast lead bullets and balls. This set is pictured on Pg 98 in the book THE WM M. LOCKE COLLECTION, Sellers, as published in 1973. It appears that the bullet mold has been changed from the one pictured. Set also appears as Fig. 90 in the JAMES ELWOOD JONES JR. ARMS COLLECTION. PROVENANCE: William M. Locke Collection; James Elwood Jones Jr. Collection. Michael Leff Estate Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, all matching except rammer handle & grip, as noted above. Bbl retains 95-96% glossy orig blue with some very minor sharp edgewear and light flaking. Rammer handle and pivot retain strong, bright case colors. Frame & hammer also retain most of their strong orig case colors. Cylinder retains about 30% orig blue with front 2/3 flaked to a light patina & overall shows about 95% Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking with some minor scattered pitting. Trigger guard retains about 75% strong orig silver and backstrap about all orig silver. Grip is sound with fine age lines and overall retains a wonderful mellow ivory patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. Case is sound with usual handling & storage marks & scratches and overall retains most of its orig varnish. Inside lid shows very little fading while bottom is lightly faded and soiled. Cartridge packet shows broken bottom edge, otherwise is crisp. Mold is crisp & current flask is very fine. Other accessories are fine. Altogether an exceptional set that has had an outstanding grip added. 4-49643