Page 181 - 4094-BOOK2

LOT 1193
Cased Factory Engraved Colt Model 1861
Navy Percussion Revolver with Mexican
Eagle Raised Relief Carved Antique Ivory
Grip - Serial no. 18745, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch round
bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, carved antique
ivory grips. The Model 1861 Navy is an attractive Colt percussion revolver
variation and builds upon the success of the ever popular Model 1851 Navy
and the improvements introduced on the Model 1860 Army. Per the Colt
Collectors Association, serial numbers of this model only reached as high
as 38843 compared to 200800 for the Model 1860 Army. Per Colt, this
particular revolver dates to 1864 towards the end of the American Civil War.
It features the distinctive late percussion vine scroll style of engraving found on the later percussion
Colts and differs from the earlier “Gustave Young” style scrollwork by having plain backgrounds.
“COLTS/PATENT” is engraved on the left side of the frame. The Naval Battle of Campeche roll scene
on the cylinder has been hand enhanced. The standard factory markings are also present, including
the “E” designation denoting factory engraving by the serial numbers. The barrel is numbered
“18736”, and the wedge is numbered “736”. The cylinder is numbered “745”, the arbor is numbered
“8745”, and the frame, trigger guard, and butt are numbered “18745”. This was likely once part of a matching pair and the barrels may have been inadvertently swapped. The revolver is fitted with a one-piece grip with a raised
relief carved rendition of the eagle and rattlesnake motif from the Mexican coat of arms on the left side. The revolver comes in a fitted case with an Eley Bros. cap tin, martial themed flask, an L-shaped combination tool, a brass Colt
patent mold with iron sprue cutter, and balls and bullets.
CONDITION: Fine with crisp engraving, non-matching barrel assembly, mostly gray patina on the iron, light pitting, some blue mainly on the protected areas of the barrel, 90% plus re-plated silver on the grip straps with natural
aged patina, and mild overall wear. The grip is very fine with crisp relief carving, attractive natural aged patina and grain, minor age lines, and light wear. Mechanically fine. The refinished case is very good with mild storage wear,
including some faint cracks in the lid. The otherwise fine flask is missing the spring assembly. The mold and screwdriver are fine.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
LOT 1194
Desirable U.S. Marked “Fluck”
Colt First Model Dragoon Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 2260, 44
cal., 7 1/2 inch part octagon bbl., blue/casehardened/bright finish, walnut
grips. This is one of the first 1,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers manufactured c. November
1847-1848 to fulfill Colt’s second U.S. government contract after completing the 1,000 gun Walker contract. These revolvers are
found primarily in the 2000-3000 serial range and most have the serial numbers marked with the smaller “Walker” sized numerals. This
variation was first researched and nicknamed the “Walker Replacement Dragoons” when identified by researcher John J. Fluck in 1956 and have
also been popularly nicknamed the “Fluck Dragoons” by collectors. More recent research by Dick Salzer and others has shown that they were in fact
not replacements for broken Walkers or made from recycled or repaired Walker components as Fluck had theorized. In his Spring 2007 American
Society of Arms Collectors article, “Debunking the Fluck Myth: Colt Legends Die Hard”, Salzer states, “The obvious conclusion is that Colt, for reasons of completeness perhaps,
chose to number the guns made for the second government contract in a closed, out-of-sequence series, beginning with 2001 and continuing to 3000. That left him with a gap in his civilian
production between 1340 and 2000 which he subsequently filled with later production guns.” These are among the rarest of the roughly 19,000 Colt Dragoon revolvers. These revolvers were issued primarily
to the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen commanded by General Persifor Smith. Many of these revolvers saw service in the west prior to the Civil War. During the Civil War, these revolvers were likely re-issued
to various units. The “P” inspection markings on the revolver’s various components are attributed to inspector Nahum W. Patch who also inspected Colt Walker revolvers. This revolver features a German
silver blade front sight, “{ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY}” stamped on top of the breech of the barrel reading towards the muzzle, the Texas Ranger and Comanche fight scene on the cylinder along
with “MODEL U.S.M.R.”, oval cylinder stops, a single safety pin, “COLTS/PATENT/U.S.” on the left side of the frame, squareback brass trigger guard, brass back strap, and walnut grip. A “K” inspection mark is
marked on top of the barrel at the breech. A “G” is stamped on the left side of the replacement loading lever. “P” inspection marks are visible on the left side of the arbor pin, cylinder, left side of the frame at the front, and the
left side of the hammer. Matching serial numbers are visible on the cylinder, barrel, frame, trigger guard, and butt. The loading lever is numbered “454”.
CONDITION: Good with some mixed parts including a professionally renumbered to match barrel and back strap, gray and brown patina, mild pitting, aged patina on the brass, and mild overall wear. The refinished grip is also good
with some loss at the toe and mild wear. Mechanically functions but the timing is sometimes off.
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500 179