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LOT 1195
Rare Well-Documented Patent Arms Mfg. Co. Colt Paterson Model 1839
Percussion Revolving Carbine, Pictured in “The Paterson Colt Book” - Serial
no. 646, 32 gauge, 24 1/2 inch part round bbl., brown/blue finish, walnut stock.
Reportedly, less than 950 of Samuel Colt’s Model 1839 Paterson revolving carbines
were manufactured at the Patent Arms Manufacturing Co.’s Paterson, New Jersey,
factory circa 1838-1841, according to page 47 of “The Book of Colt Firearms” (1971
publication) by Sutherland and Wilson. There are far less surviving today, and this
is a solid representative example of one of these rare and desirable Colts. They
were considered to be the most successful of the Paterson firearms, with known
use during the Mexican-American War. The War Department purchased a reported
360, with 300 issued for U.S. Navy service and 60 for use with the Dragoons of
the U.S. Army, and the State of Texas purchased 300, with 180 going to the Navy
and 120 to the Texas Rangers and the Texas Army, with the State of Rhode Island
purchasing 46 more, which leaves fewer than 250 of the total production to have
found their way to the civilian markets, per page 217 of “The Colt Paterson Book”
by Wilson. R.L. Wilson wrote this model was “The most practical and popular
of all Colts longarms from the Paterson period,” and also indicated that Samuel
Colt continued to sell and display this model into the 1850s. The Model 1839 is
featured in multiple paintings by famous frontier artist George Catlin that were
used to promote Colt’s early firearms. On top of being the best of the Paterson
long guns, this model is also significant as one of the first practical repeating long
gun designs. There had been other repeating firearms in the past, but none of
these were remotely as useful and many were unsuited to production on a large
scale. This exact example is pictured as well as described on pages 216, 222, 230
and 231 of “The Paterson Colt Book” by Wilson. This carbine has a .525 caliber (32
gauge) smoothbore part-round/part-beveled barrel with brazed lug. The right side
of the barrel lug has a loading lever and has a flat, two-groove wedge, a bead front
sight, and a dovetail mounted notch rear sight. The right side of the barrel lug has
the roll-stamped legend “*Patent-Arms M’g. Co. Paterson, NJ.-Colt’s Pt.*” with wavy
lines at the ends, and the loading lever fixture in place of a section of the legend.
The cylinder measures 2 1/2 inches long, with traces of roll-engraved scenery, and
visible patent and address markings. Matching serial number “646” visible on the
rear face of the barrel lug, wedge, cylinder arbor pin, and cylinder turning ring.
CONDITION: Good, exhibits antiqued brown and gray patina on the iron surfaces,
scattered light to mild pitting, and many legible markings. Stock is a period
replacement, with characteristic scratches and chips, and fine figure. Mechanically
functions. This rare Colt Paterson Model 1839 carbine is a desirable addition to
complete any advanced Colt percussion collection.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 16,000 - 25,000
As pictured & described in
The Paterson Colt Book by Wilson
197