1294

SCARCE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:12,500.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 40,000.00 USD
SCARCE MARTIALLY MARKED COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER.
PLEASE NOTE (02/28/13): Lot does not include mold. Mold is being offered separately in the next Lot, 1294A. SN 64927. Cal. 44. Blue & color case hardened with 8" rnd bbl, German silver front sight and 1-line U.S. America address. Frame has a tiny "COLTS PATENT" on left side and is 3-screw style, cut for shoulder stock, with flathead hammer screw. Cyl is usual rebated style with 6-chambers and Ormsby Naval battle scene roll marking. Five of the six safety pins are crisp & serviceable. The brass trigger guard & iron backstrap contain a 1-pc walnut grip with last four digits of matching SN in backstrap channel. Both sides of grip have legible cartouches and several of the metal parts have tiny inspector initials. Accompanied by a "COLT'S PATENT" blued steel bullet & ball 2-cavity mold with sprue cutter marked on right side "44H" with a "C" inspector initial. Left side of the mold body is marked with inspector initials "WAT" (William A. Thornton). Also accompanied by a rare packet of Johnston & Dow combustible cartridges. According to Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms about 127,000 Model 1860 revolvers were purchased by the Federal Government for use in the Civil War. The majority of these revolvers were issued to front line troops and was the most extensively used handgun throughout the Civil War. They mostly saw continuous service throughout the war and later on the American frontier, usually under harsh conditions with limited or no maintenance and are rarely found today with high orig finish or with visible cartouches. PROVENANCE: Dr. John M. Pickup Collection. CONDITION: Very fine to extremely fine, all matching including cyl & grip, wedge is an unnumbered replacement. Bbl retains 88-90% orig blue with the loss areas flaked, not worn, and shows strong feathers on each side of the front sight and in the bbl lug flutes; rammer & handle retain bright case colors; frame retains very bright orig case colors with some fading on recoil shields; hammer retains strong case colors, very bright on right side & rear edge; cyl retains 60-70% dull orig blue and shows about 98% Ormsby Naval battle scene; trigger guard is a medium mustard patina, never having been silver plated; backstrap & buttstrap retain about 50% orig blue with the balance flaked to a light patina. Grip is sound showing moderate edge wear, a few nicks & scratches and retains a hand worn patina. Mechanics are fine, brilliant shiny bore; chambers of cyl retain strong orig blue. Mold is crisp & new, appears to have never been used, retaining about 99% strong orig blue; cartridge packet is still sealed with yellowed paper wrap. 4-46426 JR108