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LOT 3283
Scarce Civil War Confederate
Leech & Rigdon Percussion Revolver
- Serial no. 845, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch part
octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut grips.
The Leech & Rigdon Revolver is a close
copy of the Colt Navy Model revolver, except that it has a round barrel
with an octagonal breech section similar to the Colt Dragoon. These are
among the most highly sought after Confederate firearms. This is one of approximately 1,500
manufactured by Thomas Leech and Charles Rigdon at the Greensboro, Georgia, factory circa 1863-1864. The company was
dissolved in 1864 and was replaced by Rigdon, Ansley & Co., which continued to manufacture a small amount of an updated variation of these revolvers in Augusta, Georgia. This revolver has the pin and ball loading lever latch and six-shot cylinder with six cylinder stops whereas the Rigdon & Ansley
revolvers have twelve cylinder stops like the Manhattan revolvers. The barrel has a brass pin front sight. “LEECH & RIGDON CSA” marked on the top barrel flat. The barrel wedge is fitted with a retaining spring. The hammer has coarse knurling and a groove for a rear sight. Brass trigger guard and back strap. The revolver has a one-piece oil-finished walnut grip. The matching serial number is marked on the loading lever, cylinder, bottom of the barrel, frame, trigger guard, butt and handwritten in the back strap mortise of the grip. Information on these revolvers can be found in Albaugh, Benet and Simmons’ book “Confederate Handguns” on pages 39-60.
CONDITION: Good as Confederate issued. The barrel is partly cleaned to a bright, and the loading lever, cylinder, frame and hammer show refinished blue finish with artificial aging and some light pitting. The replacement cylinder is refinished, with a remarked serial number. The loading lever has been repaired with a professionally fabricated latch assembly. Brass exhibits a bright golden patina. Grip is also good with general light wear and surface crazing, scattered dings and handling marks, and a reglued crack on the left panel. Action is out of time, otherwise mechanically functions. This is a solid representative example of a Confederate Leech &Rigdon revolver.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
THIS RARE RICHMOND, VA SHIPPED COLT 1860 ARMY REVOLVER WAS SHIPPED ON APRIL 15, 1861, ONLY THREE DAYS AFTER THE FIRST SHOTS OF THE CIVIL WAR WERE FIRED AT FORT SUMPTER.
Approximately 4,000 Colt 1860 Army revolvers were produced with a fluted cylinder.
Documented Confederate Virginia Shipped Civil War Fluted Cylinder Colt Model 1860 Army Percussion Revolver with Holster and Factory Letter - Serial no. 3047, 44 cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. The included factory letter lists this Colt fluted Army revolver with 7 1/2 inch barrel in .44 caliber, blue/brass finish, and
wood grips when shipped in a grouping of 500 to Peter Williams & Company of Richmond, Virginia, on April 15th, 1861, just days after the Battle of Fort Sumter between April 12th–13th, 1861, the opening engagement of the American Civil War. Virginia joined the Confederacy on April 17th, although secession was not officially ratified until May 23rd, and it is likely that this revolver would have been rushed into early service in support of the Confederacy. This early Colt Model 1860 Army has the highly desirable early full fluted cylinder. While over 200,000 Colt Model 1860 Army Model revolvers were manufactured, only around 4,000 were manufactured with fluted cylinders, making this variation especially desirable. Some of these distinctive Colts were shipped to the South before and at the very beginning of the Civil War, as proven with the factory letter accompanying this example. Of the small amount of these fluted cylinder revolvers made, most of them were no doubt heavily used during the war, making surviving examples particularly scarce. This example features the one-line Hartford barrel address, faint “COLTS/PATENT” frame marking, frame cut for a shoulder stock, fluted cylinder with the 1850 patent date marking, and matching serial number “3047” marked on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, butt, wedge, cylinder pin and handwritten in black ink inside the grip mortise. The cylinder has no visible serial number. Includes an unmarked, possibly Confederate made, period leather holster. CONDITION: Very good and well above average as Confederate used, with brown patina overall on the iron surfaces and lightly worn but visible markings, a few areas of minor corrosion and some dings around the right of the wedge and on the butt. The brass exhibits a golden aged patina with a few areas of darkening around the trigger guard. The grip is good with some scattered light scratches and numerous small round dings on the bottom flats. Mechanically fine. The holster is good with mild age related wear and an outer protective coating. This Confederate Virginia shipped fluted cylinder Colt 1860 Army revolver would make an excellent addition to any Civil War firearms collection!
LOT 3284
Estimate: 7,500 - 12,000 165