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LOT 193
Exceptional Colt Model 1851 Navy
Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 194679, 36 cal., 7 1/2
inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, walnut grips.
This Colt Fourth Model 1851 Navy revolver was manufactured
in 1866. The revolver has the Colt commercial blue finish on
the barrel and cylinder with color casehardened loading lever,
frame and hammer and silver plated brass trigger guard and back
strap. The one-piece walnut grip has a highly polished piano finish.
The revolver has the late Fourth Model features, which include large oval
trigger guard, capping channel in the recoil shield cut-out and thick loading lever latch.
The hammer spur has bordered knurling and the barrel has a brass cone-shaped front
sight. The top barrel flat is roll stamped with the one-line legend “-ADDRESS COL.
SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA-”. “COLTS/PATENT” is stamped in two lines on
the left side of the frame. “36 CAL” is stamped on the left shoulder of the trigger
guard. The cylinder is roll engraved with the Texas Navy battle scene and “COLTS
PATENT No.” “ENGAGED 16 MAY 1843” is roll stamped on the leading edge of
the cylinder. The full serial number is stamped on the bottom of the barrel lug,
frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The partial serial number “4679” is stamped
on the cylinder. The “7” on the cylinder serial number is a factory over-stamp on
the serial number “4649” but is an original factory correction. The loading lever
is, correctly, not serial numbered. All of the visible serial numbers match. After the
Civil War the Model 1851 Navy remained a popular Colt revolver and production
continued until 1873 at serial number 215348.
CONDITION: Exceptional original condition and shows only collector type handling
and storage wear. The barrel and cylinder retain more than 95% of the original high
polish commercial blue finish. There are a few very minor finish blemishes on the
right side of the barrel lug above the wedge slot and traces of edge wear on the
high points of the barrel and lug. The cylinder retains all of the Texas Navy scene;
finish wear is limited to some minor patches of flaking on the cylinder shoulders
and some turn marks in the cylinder slots. The percussion nipples have minimal
flash pitting. All of the cylinder safety pins are intact. The loading lever, frame and
hammer have 98% of the vivid case colors with minimal fading or handling wear.
The frame, barrel lug and loading lever screws have 95% of the original fire-blue
finish. The brass trigger guard and back strap have some light handling wear on
contact points but retain 75% of the delicate silver plated finish. The one-piece
walnut grip is in near perfect condition; nearly all of the high polish piano finish
remains intact; wear is limited to three very small handling marks on the right
side of the back strap and traces of finish loss on the edge of the right grip heel.
The action is crisp and functions perfectly. This is an exceptional example of a
post-Civil War Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver in nearly new condition. It would
be extremely difficult to obtain a better example of this historic
Colt percussion revolver.
Estimate: 18,000 - 27,500