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for the army during the Second Seminole War. Given how early these revolving rifles are
and how few were made, they are the rarest Colt Paterson, and any surviving example is
highly desirable. They were followed by the Paterson handguns, Second Model Ring Lever
rifles, and the Model 1839 revolving long guns. Though Colt’s Patent Arms Manufacturing Co. ultimately failed, it set the groundwork for his later immense success. The ring lever on the bottom of the frame cocks the internal hammer
and rotates the cylinder. The barrel has seven-groove rifling, a dovetailed nickel-silver blade front sight, dovetailed rear sight with screw adjustable notch, “-Colt’s Patent-Patent Arms Man’g. Co., Paterson, N. Jersey.-” roll-stamped on top of the breech section, and small loading grooves on the left and
right at the breech. The squareback cylinder has knurling, a “COLT” markings, and the deer,
centaur, and horsemen scene. The frame has a top strap with a small, square cut-out at the rear and a smaller, semi-circular cut-out at the junction with the barrel.
The frame is not cut for capping. Matching serial numbers are located on
the back of the barrel lug, wedge, back of the cylinder, arbor pin collar,
and toe of the buttplate. The nicely figured buttstock has the endorsed “C” four horse head emblem inlaid on the very nicely shaped cheekpiece and a narrow crescent buttplate.
CONDITION: Very fine with 85% plus of the period refinished blue, some small patches of gray and brown patina, isolated spots of minor oxidation, and generally very light overall wear. The wedge spring is broken.
The revarnished stock is fine and has some attractive figure and grain and minor handling and storage wear. Mechanically fine. This is a rare opportunity to add a very attractive example of Samuel Colt’s first firearm model to your growing collection.
Estimate: 27,500 - 42,500
LOT 63
Extremely Rare Patent Arms Manufacturing Company Colt Paterson First Model Ring Lever Percussion Revolving Rifle - Serial no. 81, 44 cal., 27 inch octagon bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This rare early Colt rifle was manufactured by the Patent Arms Manufacturing Co. in Paterson, New Jersey, c. 1837-1838 and is one of the very first firearms manufactured by Samuel Colt. These First Model rifles actually pre-date Colt’s first factory produced revolving handguns by a few months. The “Improvement in Fire-Arms” for Colt’s “Revolving Gun” were patented in the U.S. on February 25, 1836, and included design aspects used in many of Colt’s subsequent firearms designs such as the barrel secured to the frame via the cylinder arbor and wedge. 1/4 of the 200 manufactured were ordered by the U.S. military
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