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SCARCE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY-ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
SCARCE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1851 NAVY-ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.
SN 57122. Cal. 36. Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2" oct bbl, brass pin front sight and 1-line New York City address. Left side of frame has a tiny "COLTS PATENT" over a tiny "U.S.". The brass, third model small guard trigger guard & backstrap contain an oil finished 1-pc walnut grip with last four digits of matching SN in backstrap channel. Both sides of grip have sharp, legible cartouches with "JH" (James Harris) on left side and "RHKW" (Capt. Robert Henry Kirkwood Whitley) on right side. Bottom left edge of the grip is marked with a small "A" and various metal parts have small inspector initials. The Federal Government purchased approx. 35,000 '51 Navy revolvers of which about 15,050 went to the Navy leaving about 20,000 that were assigned to the Army, of which this revolver is one. These revolvers were issued to front line troops and used throughout the Civil War and later on the American frontier, generally under harsh circumstances with little or no maintenance and are almost never found today in completely orig configuration with high orig finish. PROVENANCE: Dr. John M. Pickup Collection. CONDITION: Extremely fine, all matching including wedge, cyl & grip. Bbl retains 96-97% strong orig military finish with only light muzzle & sharp edge wear with a few nicks around wedge slot on right side; rammer pivot retains bright case colors, fading to silver on the handle; frame & hammer retain strong bright case colors lightly faded on left recoil shield; cyl retains mostly a blue/brown patina and shows about 95% Ormsby Naval battle scene with all six safety pins crisp & serviceable; chambers retain strong orig blue; trigger guard & backstrap are a light yellow patina. Grip is sound with sharp edges and clear cartouches and retains about all of its orig oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore with about 1-1/2" of fine pitting at the breech end, probably from firing caps without cleaning afterward. 4-46430 JR105