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MODEL 1860 COLT ARMY REVOLVER – RARE EARLY 4 SCREW VARIANT

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This very nice percussion cap and ball sidearm is an early, original Civil War Model 1860 Army revolver in very good condition. This is one of some 200,000 M1860 Army revolvers made from 1860 through 1873 and was the successor type to the larger Colt Third Model Dragoon horse pistol. The government-issued Colt Army 44 was the major sidearm in use by US troops during the Civil War.  The Colt .44-caliber "Army" Model was the most widely used revolver of the Civil War. It had a six-shot, rotating cylinder, and fired a 0.454-inch-diameter (11.5 mm) round spherical lead ball, or a conical-tipped bullet, typically propelled by a 30-grain charge of black powder, which was ignited by a small copper percussion cap that contained a volatile charge of fulminate of mercury (a substance that explodes upon being subjected to a sharp impact). The percussion cap, when struck by the hammer, ignited the powder charge. When fired, balls had a muzzle velocity of about 900 feet per second (274 meters/second), although this depended on how much powder was loaded.

The unfluted cylinder was 'rebated,' meaning that the rear of the cylinder was turned to a smaller diameter than the front. The barrel was rounded and smoothed into the frame. The frame, hammer, and rammer lever were case-hardened, the remainder blued; grips were of one-piece walnut; and the trigger guard and front grip strap were of brass while the backstrap was blued.

A distinguishing feature of the Model 1860 was that its frame had no top strap, or no component running above the cylinder. Instead, its strength came from the lower frame and the massive, fixed cylinder pin. This made the gun slimmer and lighter than its main competitor, the Remington Model 1858, but with a possible loss of strength. The fixed cylinder pin also meant that the barrel had to be removed to remove the cylinder, unlike the Model 1858, which only required you to remove the cylinder retaining pin.

This handgun is a nice .44 caliber, early production four-screw frame model with a 6-shot rebated cylinder and an 8” round barrel. It has a lovely worn patina, with no signs of refinishing. It has not had any parts changed.  The serial number is “16272” and matches throughout – a true rare early pistol that falls within the range of guns manufactured in 1861.  The barrel is stamped “- ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA -“. The timing and lockup are tight and, while the bore is dull, the rifling is still quite strong.  A rare star stamp is noted on the trigger guard near the “T” stamping as shown. The pistol features a nice, rich patina that compliments the remnants of the original blued finish, which gives it a truly period look.  The naval scene on the cylinder is mostly worn away and incomplete, which is fairly typical of early war Colts.  Patent markings are still clearly visible on the cylinder.  All chambers are in good condition and seem to be free of pitting.  Nipples are not rusted or corroded, and the only spot of true rust is on the loading lever catch near the muzzle of the barrel.  The walnut grips are in good condition, save for a spot of darkened wood and some minor “dings” and “dents”. No inspector cartouches are present.

If you are a collector of Civil War Colts, an early 4 screw model would surely be a focal point of any display or catalogue of pistols.  These are becoming increasingly rare and finding one in such a decent mechanical condition is wholly unusual.  [cm][ph:L]

DISCLAIMER: All firearms are sold as collector's items only - we do not accept responsibility as to the shooting safety or reliability of any antique firearm. All firearms are described as accurately as possible, given the restraints of a catalog listing length. We want satisfied customers & often "under" describe the weapons. Any city or state regulations regarding owning antique firearms are the responsibility of the purchaser. All firearms are "mechanically perfect" unless noted, but again, are NOT warranted as safe to fire!

 

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