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LOT 272
Extremely Rare, Exceptional and Well-
Documented Cased Early Production Two-
Digit Serial Number 29 Colt Model 1861
Navy Percussion Revolver with Fluted
Cylinder - Serial no. 29, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch
round bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish,
walnut grips. This is an extremely rare Colt
Model 1861 Navy revolver manufactured very
early in the first year of production, 1861, and
is one of only approximately 100 believed to
have been produced with a fluted cylinder, per
pages 167-168 of “The Book of Colt Firearms”
(1971 publication) by Sutherland and Wilson,
where serial numbers 11 and 30 are pictured.
Serial numbers of this variation reportedly
fall under 100 and around the 4,800 range.
This particular revolver, serial number 29, is
featured on page 96 of “Colt, An American
Legend” by R.L. Wilson, also on page 96 of “The
Colt Heritage” by R.L. Wilson, page 48 of “Fine
Colts, The Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection” by
R.L. Wilson, and the lot includes an original
copy of the 1942 Metropolitan Museum of Art
“Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Percussion
Colt Revolver and Conversions 1836-1873” by
John E. Parsons where this revolver is listed on
page 27 as item number 83, and pictured in
plate XXX. An included letter from Jim Eplen
outlines the story of this revolver and how he
acquired it from Joseph A. Murphy, and then
located a proper Model 1861 Navy case to
accompany the revolver, and further indicates
that it is his belief there were nowhere near
100 of these fluted cylinder variant Colt Model
1861 Navy revolvers actually made.