Original Item: Only One Available. The Colt Navy Model 1851 Percussion Revolver in .36 caliber was widely used by both sides in the U.S. Civil War. The Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (i.e., .36 cal), later known as the Colt 1851 Navy or Navy Revolver, is a cap and ball revolver that was designed by Samuel Colt between 1847 and 1850. Colt first called this Revolver Ranger model, but the designation Navy quickly took over. It remained in production until 1873, when revolvers using fixed metallic cartridges came into widespread use.

This lovely patinated example features a standard 7 1/2" barrel is marked with serial number 111227 on the barrel, frame, grip frame, and trigger guard, while the cylinder markings are completely worn away. The cylinder arbor pin and loading rammer are all marked with shortened number 1227, while the barrel wedge is marked with 11227. That makes this a very desirable "Mostly Matching" example of the M1851 Navy revolver, and due to the wear we are fairly certain that this is the original cylinder. Colt records indicate that this revolver was produced in 1861, right at the onset of the Civil War, so it almost certainly saw service during the conflict, possibly on either side.

This example looks to have seen a good amount of use and cleaning of the exterior during service, so like most we see, the "Naval Engagement Scene" on the cylinder is completely worn away, along with all other markings that would normally be on the cylinder. The top of the barrel however still has the Colt "New York" address marking fully intact:

The revolver looks to have seen moderate service during the war, and displays a lovely oxidized patina of age, with no signs of having been refinished, though the cylinder area definitely was cleaned to remove powder residue. The plating on the trigger guard and grip are completely missing, with the brass showing a lovely mustard patina. There is just a "ghost" of the "COLTS PATENT" marking on the left side of the frame. There is no "36CAL" marking on the trigger guard, but this is not uncommon. The walnut grip is in is in good shape, showing a lovely color, though there is a repair on the left side, with wood filler visible on the side and bottom. At some point someone also added some spurious "C - S" cartouches, which are definitely not period.

The revolver cycles well, with accurate indexing and a solid cylinder lockup. It does not have any of the usual finicky behavior we often see revolvers of this age exhibit. The barrel to frame connection has a bit of wobble, and does not look to have been adjusted at any time. The bore is in very good condition, showing strong land and grooves, with light oxidation and fouling overall, now cleaned away. It's very rare to see such a good bore on a percussion revolver from the Civil War. The cap nipple cones are all intact and clear on the cylinder, showing wear and oxidation on the exterior, along with mushrooming from hammer strikes.

This is a very nice 1851 Navy dating from the Civil War with a very nice bore and a lovely worn patina, a very nice acquisition for any collection. In wonderful condition and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1861
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 13 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver

History of the 1851 Navy Colt Pistol:

The .36 caliber Navy revolver was much lighter than the contemporary Colt Dragoon Revolvers developed from the .44 Walker Colt revolvers of 1847, which, given their size and weight, were generally carried in saddle holsters. It is an enlarged version of the .31 caliber Colt Pocket Percussion Revolvers, that evolved from the earlier Baby Dragoon, and, like them, is a mechanically improved and simplified descendant of the 1836 Paterson revolver. As the factory designation implied, the Navy revolver was suitably sized for carrying in a belt holster. It became very popular in North America at the time of Western expansion. Colt's aggressive promotions distributed the Navy and his other revolvers across Europe, Asia, and Africa. As with many other Colt revolvers, it has a six-round cylinder.

The cylinder of this revolver is engraved with a scene of the victory of the Second Texas Navy at the Battle of Campeche on May 16, 1843. The Texas Navy had purchased the earlier Colt Paterson Revolver, but this was Colt's first major success in the gun trade; the naval theme of the engraved cylinder of the Colt 1851 Navy revolver was Colt's gesture of appreciation. The engraving was provided by Waterman Ormsby. Despite the "Navy" designation, the revolver was chiefly purchased by civilians and military land forces.

The .36 caliber (.375-.380 inch) round lead ball weighs 80 grains and, at a velocity of 1,000 feet per second, is comparable to the modern .380 pistol cartridge in power. Loads consist of loose powder and ball or bullet, metallic foil cartridges (early), and combustible paper cartridges (Civil War era), all combinations being ignited by a fulminate percussion cap applied to the nipples at the rear of the chamber.

Famous "Navy" users included Wild Bill Hickok, John Henry "Doc" Holliday, Richard Francis Burton, Ned Kelly, Bully Hayes, Richard H. Barter, Robert E. Lee, Nathan B. Forrest, John O'Neill, Frank Gardiner, Quantrill's Raiders, John Coffee "Jack" Hays, "Bigfoot" Wallace, Ben McCulloch, Addison Gillespie, John "Rip" Ford, "Sul" Ross and most Texas Rangers prior to the Civil War and (fictionally) Rooster Cogburn. Use continued long after more modern cartridge revolvers were introduced.

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