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LOT 1221
Extremely Rare, Historic, Documented, and NRA Award Winning Colt Model 1851 “Navy” Experimental Prototype .40 Caliber Percussion Revolver Serial Number 1 from the Colt Factory Museum Collection - Serial no. 1, 40 cal., 7 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut grips. The Colt Model 1851 Navy was one of Samuel Colt’s most popular revolvers. Over a quarter of a million of these revolvers were manufactured between the introduction of the model in 1850 and the end of percussion revolver production in 1873. More Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers were used in the 19th century than the famous Colt Single Action Army. At first glance, this revolver looks like a standard Model 1851 Navy in incredibly high condition,
a rarity in and of itself, but the matching serial number “1” markings visible on the loading lever, cylinder, barrel, frame, trigger guard, and back strap then clues that this revolver is something even more special. A check of the caliber reveals it to one of the rarest Colt firearms ever made: a .40 caliber Colt Model 1851 “Navy”. You could count on one hand how many of these incredibly rare revolvers were ever manufactured and still have your pinkie to spare.
In the 1850s, Colt’s Model 1851 Navy was arguably his most important model. While the Model 1849 Pocket was the most popular in terms
of overall sales, the Model 1851 Navy was the model adopted by the U.S. Army and Navy as well as multiple foreign militaries and thus presented the best possibility for large government contracts. Colt’s
.44 caliber revolvers starting with the famous Walker followed by the various Dragoon models were too large and cumbersome to be suitable for belt carry but were well-suited for riding in pommel holsters
for the dragoons and cavalry and were not nearly as popular. Colt manufactured more ‘51 Navy revolvers in just the year 1856 than they did Dragoon revolvers in total across more than a decade. However, while the .36 caliber ‘51 Navy revolvers were popular, they did not provide nearly as much firepower. Finding a way to bridge the gap between the two was logical and an excellent opportunity to perhaps entice new customers unimpressed by the .36 caliber revolvers. In U.K., for example, Colt’s main competition was the .442 caliber Beaumont- Adams revolver. Colt and his team certainly knew that finding a way
to increase the firepower while still being able to use as many ‘51
Navy components as possible would make it more efficient and profitable for the company to produce. The idea is somewhat akin
to the later development of the .40 S&W which bridges the gap between the various .38 caliber cartridges then in
use and the larger .45 ACP.
AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK OF COLT FIREARMS BY WILSON