1299

RARE NEW SOUTH WALES NAVAL BRIGADE COLT 1851 NAVY REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:3,500.00 USD Estimated At:7,000.00 - 14,000.00 USD
RARE NEW SOUTH WALES NAVAL BRIGADE COLT 1851 NAVY REVOLVER.
SN 168274. Cal. 36. Usual configuration with 7-1/2" oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line New-York U.S. America address. Left side of frame has a small "COLTS PATENT" and left shoulder of trigger guard the caliber marking. Cyl is usual 6-shots with Ormsby Naval Battle scene. Bbl lug & cyl have British proofs. The silver plated large guard brass trigger guard & backstrap contain a replacement 1-pc walnut grip. Backstrap is engraved in block letters "NAVAL BRIGADE N.S.W. / NO 27". According to '51 Colt Navies, Swayze, at the time of writing this book in 1967 there was only one other Colt Navy so marked and that was SN 168323. There is another one known, SN 167425. The Book of Colt Firearms, Wilson, also shows that the New South Wales Naval Brigade purchased Colt '51 Navies but has no additional information. Undoubtedly revolvers so marked should be considered very rare. The New South Wales Naval Brigade was formed in 1854 at the outbreak of the Crimean War for the defense of Sydney. Initially they had no ships and didn't get one until 1855. In 1863 they had 120 men assigned and in 1864 the brigade consisted of five companies with an overall strength of 200 men. Their only ship was sold in 1859 and they had no ships until the late 1870s when the government built two torpedo boats and another was acquired in 1882. The Naval Brigade continued to add members reaching a total strength of 614 men when they were federalized for the Boxer Rebellion. 300 men of the Brigade were sent to China but arrived mostly after the action was over. PROVENANCE: Dr. John M. Pickup Collection. CONDITION: About good, all matching except grip which is unnumbered; bbl and rammer retain a dark plummy brown patina with lightly worn edges; frame retains dark case colors, faded to a brown patina on recoil shields and hammer; cyl is also a plummy brown patina and shows about 30% Ormsby Naval Battle Scene; trigger guard and backstrap are a medium mustard patina with traces of orig silver; engraved inscription on backstrap shows heavy wear; grip is nicked and dinged and retains most of its custom finish. Mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with scattered pitting. 4-46419 JR90