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By the fall of 1861, Ripley was well-aware that there were
going to be a massive number of men in need of arms
for the fight to preserve the Union. Colt already had an
established relationship with the Ordnance Department
from previous smaller orders and had the best equipped
private armory in the world, which he was in the process
of significantly expanding. He was well-aware of the
situation and the opportunity it presented his company.
He also knew he would need to cash in on government
contracts quickly less he lose out to other contractors.
His company offered Ripley and the Union Colt’s
famous revolvers and revolving rifles which were only of
secondary importance to the war effort compared to the
rifle-muskets used by the bulk of the Union soldiers. His
company delivered 112,344 “Special Model 1861 Rifle-
Muskets” by the end of 1864. In 1861, there were several
scandals reported relating to arms contracts, and Ripley
was actively working to ensure government resources
were not being wasted on overpriced arms. However,
Ripley himself was ensnared as he had authorized the sale
of 10,000 “Enfield” rifles to Colt in June of 1861 for just
$10 because they were non-standard (.577 caliber rather
than the Union’s standardized .58 caliber) and then later
contacted Colt in August to repurchase them for $20 each
plus two thousand “Short Enfields” with saber bayonets
for $25 each. Colt reportedly instead insisted on $25 each
making a $150,000 profit. However, there is likely more to
this story than simple corruption. Ripley was well-known
to have been resistant to the adoption of foreign arms,
especially early in the war, and he was also particular
about standardization. In this light, his sale of undersized
foreign rifle-muskets very early in the war is not shocking.
After it became clear the war would drag on and the
number of Union troops massively increased, those arms
became more necessary and thus became more valuable.
The same can be seen in Ripley’s contacts with Colt
concerning revolvers. In May he was discussing deliveries
of 500 and 1,000 revolvers. By June, he was requesting five
thousand, and by September 17, 1861, he wrote to Colt
stating: “Deliver weekly, until further orders, as many of
your pistols, holsters, new pattern, as you can make.”
Ripley is perhaps best known today for his resistance to
the adoption of breech-loading and repeating rifles and
carbines, even in defiance of President Lincoln, which
ultimately contributed to his re-assignment on September
15, 1863. However, his mindset had largely sound logic.
He was concerned about the largely untrained soldiers
wasting valuable ammunition with these new arms. Many
of these arms also remained unproven and were more
expensive and delicate than the standard rifle-muskets.
There was also the issue of supplying the increasing
number of non-standard cartridges to the troops.
Governments typically standardize their primary firearms
around a small number of cartridges. Historically, the U.S.
military had primarily issued .69 caliber muskets and .54
caliber rifles and pistols.
The situation Ripley faced during the Civil War was more
complicated. The government had obsolete .69 caliber
smoothbore muskets and rifled muskets as well as .54
caliber rifles, and newer rifle-muskets and rifles designed
for .58 caliber Minie balls plus smaller numbers of arms in
varying calibers and revolvers in .36 caliber and .44 caliber.
The adoption of breechloaders and repeaters using
various proprietary cartridges thus further complicated
the supply of ammunition to the troops. Documented
instances of troops receiving the wrong ammunition for
their breech-loading carbines and then complaining when
their carbines failed to function properly only proved
his point. While repeaters like the Spencer and Henry
demonstrated their utility in combat they could not be
argued to have been a deciding factor in the war, instead
it was the steady supply of men armed with rifle-muskets.
Even after the war as the government transitioned to
breech-loading rifles, it stuck with the single shot rifle,
choosing the Springfield trapdoor over repeating rifles.
Also included with this historic set of Colts is a framed
Colt factory collection display card with blue Colt
stamp. It reads: “’Presentation Colt Genl J. W. Ripley with
Compliments of Col. Colt’ Navy Belt No. 1821 (with dot)
Pocket Police No. 6496 (with dot).” In addition, another
frame with photos and clipped signatures of both J. W.
Ripley and Samuel Colt. These are fitting additions to
these most extraordinary and historic presentation Colts.
CONDITION: Excellent with crisp original factory
inscription from Samuel Colt to General Ripley, 97%
plus original high polish blue finish, 98% plus original
vibrant case colors, 95% plus original silver plating with
an attractive dark aged patina, a small spot of silver loss
at the heel, a few dings on the right by the wedge, and
minimal light handling and storage marks. The grip is also
excellent and has a few minor scratches on the left, glossy
original varnish, and highly attractive figure. Mechanically
excellent. Aside from several cracks on the exterior of
the case, the case and accessories are very fine and have
minor age and storage related wear.
B) Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver - Serial no. 6496, 36
cal., 4 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish,
deluxe factory walnut grips. As described in “A.”
CONDITION: Exceptional fine with 80% plus original blue
finish, 90% plus vibrant original case colors, 95% plus
of the original age darkened silver, mild dings around
the wedge on the right, and otherwise fairly minor wear
including some flaking and light cylinder drag lines. The
grip is exceptionally fine and has beautiful figure, nearly
all of the glossy original varnish, and minor handling
and storage marks. Mechanically excellent. This is truly
an extraordinary cased set. Each of these 1861 Samuel
Colt presentation sets is historically significant, and
these revolvers presented to Chief of Ordnance General
James Wolfe Ripley are certainly especially so given the
role he played in Samuel Colt’s contracts with the Union
government, and General Ripley’s role in arming the vast
Union armies.
Provenance: From Samuel Colt to Chief of Ordnance
General James Wolfe Ripley; The Colt Factory
Collection; The Andrew Singer Collection.
Estimate: 95,000 - 180,000
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