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LOT 184 Colt Model 1860 Army Richards Conversion Revolver with 12-Stop Cylinder and Holster - Serial no. 5266, 44 Colt cal., 8 inch round bbl., nickel finish, antique ivory grips. Total production of Model 1860 Army Richards conversion revolvers is estimated at approximately 9,000 in 1871-1878, and only a small number of the early production revolvers utilized 12-stop cylinders, and a very small number are known today. This revolver was manufactured within the 1-8700 special serial number range of the revolvers that were manufactured as cartridge revolvers and has the “-PAT. JULY 25, 1871-/-PAT. JULY 2. 1872-” marking. The remaining revolvers were manufactured late within the normal Model 1860 Army range. The cylinder was replaced at some point with one of the rare 12-stop cylinders. The cylinder is numbered “784” and has “C” markings that are also repeated below the firing pin. The barrel, frame, trigger guard, and back strap are numbered “5266,” and the loading gate has the assembly number “827.” The barrel has a blade front sight, the one-line New York address, and an ejector rod on the right. It is fitted with a pair of grips with two screw-attached spacers and comes with a brown leather holster with belt loops on both sides, a flap that opens from the left, and “60” on the left loop. CONDITION: Very good with 25% period retailer nickel plating remaining and concentrated mostly on the right side. The balance has smooth brown patina. There is a gap at the joint of the frame and barrel lug. The grips are also very good and have moderate wear from age and use, a repair on the left, some age cracks, and small chips at the heel and toe. Mechanically fine. The holster is good and has some crackling and minor wear. Provenance: The Gary Burghoff Collection. Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 185
Scarce Civil War Era Factory Engraved Colt Model 1861 Navy Percussion Revolver with Tooled Leather Slim Jim Holster and Factory Letter - Serial no. 8861, 36 cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened/silver finish, antique ivory grips. The factory letter lists this factory engraved ‘61 Navy revolver in .36 caliber with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, wood grip, and factory engraving when it was part of shipment of 14 guns of this type sent to J.C. Grubb & Co. in Philadelphia on October 2, 1862. The revolver has classic Civil War era floral scroll engraving with punched backgrounds, standard markings, matching serial numbers aside from the cylinder (“9528”), the factory dot marking by the lower serial numbers designating the revolver for factory engraving, and period two-piece grips. The Model 1861 Navy was one of the rarer Colt percussion revolvers. Less than 39,000 were manufactured in 1861-1873 compared to over 200,000 of the Model 1860 Army revolvers in basically the same period. The cylinder was likely swapped in the period of use. The revolver may have had a matching mate that the cylinder was mixed up with, or it may have been accidentally swapped while a group of soldiers were cleaning their revolvers. An attractive brown leather holster and belt with floral tooling are included. CONDITION: Fair. The revolver has a lot of Old West/battle-hardened character and displays mostly distinct engraving, mottled gray and brown patina, mild pitting, and general moderate to heavy overall wear. The slightly shrunken grips are fair and have numerous thin age cracks, an attractive yellow aged patina, a chip at the toe on the right, and moderate wear consistent with the rest of the revolver. Mechanically fine. The holster and belt are very good and have moderate wear, including some minor tears and flaking. Provenance: The Gary Burghoff Collection. Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 186
New York Engraved and Gold Plated Colt Model 1860 Army Percussion Revolver - Serial no. 187828, 44 cal., 8
inch round bbl., gold finish, antique ivory grips. This attractive Colt Model 1860 Army percussion revolver was manufactured
in 1870 and has New York engraving likely executed in the shop of Master Engraver L.D. Nimschke. The barrel and frame have distinctive scroll engraving
patterns with punched backgrounds, and the cylinder and back strap have fan patterns. The trigger guard has a “Nimschke star” on the bow. The cylinder
was engraved by a different hand in the same style. The revolver also has the standard markings and features, including matching serial numbers (wedge blank). In 1870, cartridge
revolvers had not taken over yet, and the firearms market was still very tight following the boom era of the Civil War. The Model 1860 Army ranks third in total production among Colt’s
percussion guns and was the primary sidearm of the Union Army during the Civil War. Many in the West, continued to use Colt percussion late into the 19th century by Native Americans,
gunfighters, and settlers even after cartridge revolvers like the famous Single Action Army became more popular. This revolver was part of Aberdeen Police Department Chief of Detectives
John B. Gillespie’s (1899-1973) collection in Washington for many years.
CONDITION: Very good with mostly an attractive silver-gray patina overall, traces of replated gold plating in the protected areas, bright trigger guard, crisp engraving, some faint pitting at the breech, and mild overall age and storage related wear. The cylinder is a renumbered to match replacement. The grip is fine and has attractive aged patina, age cracks, small chips at the toe, and mild edge wear. Mechanically fine. Overall, a very attractive engraved Colt Model 1860 Army with a lot of western frontier appeal.
Provenance: The John B. Gillespie Collection; The Gary Burghoff Collection.
Estimate: 4,500 - 7,000
LOT 187
Historic Colt 3 1/2 Inch Round Barrel Model 1862 Pocket Navy Conversion Revolver Inscribed to Texas Cattle Ranch Pioneer D.B. Gardner - Serial no. 1764, 38 RF cal., 3 1/2 inch round bbl., nickel finish, antique ivory grips. This is one of around 10,000 revolvers of this type built using a mix of converted on-hand parts from the Model 1849 Pocket, 1862 Police, and Pocket Navy revolvers along with newly manufactured components starting around 1873. These handy revolvers
were still being shipped by the factory in the 1880s. The wedge is numbered “16547.” Otherwise, there are matching full
or partial serial numbers on the various metal components and it has very attractive special order grip and the inscription
“D.B. Gardner” on the butt. Information on Texas cattle rancher D.B. Gardner is included. He worked as a cowboy in the
1870s and helped form the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association to combat cattle rustlers. He founded the
Pitchfork Ranch aka “The Forks” in the 1880s on thousands of acres in West Texas between Lubbock and Guthrie and managed
the ranch until 1928. The ranch is still a major cattle operation today under the management of the descendant of Gardner’s
partners, the Williams family of St. Louis. A copy of “The Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company: The First Century” by David J. Murrah is included.
CONDITION: Fine with mottled gray patina on the barrel, 80% plus original nickel plating on the balance of the metal, generally mild overall wear, and crisp inscription. The grip is also fine and has attractive natural aged tones and grain, minor age cracks, and moderate handling wear. Mechanically excellent. This is a neat piece of Texas history.
Provenance: The Gary Burghoff Collection.
158 Estimate: 2,500 - 4,000