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 example features a standard 7 1/2" barrel, and is marked with matching serial number 71099 on the barrel, cylinder, frame, grip frame, and trigger guard. The cylinder arbor pin, loading rammer, and barrel wedge are all marked with shortened number 1099. This makes this a great "ALL MATCHING" example of the M1851 Navy revolver, without any parts swapped out over the years! Colt records indicate that this revolver was produced in 1857, right before the onset of the Civil War, so it almost certainly saw service during the conflict, possibly on either side.

Unlike most Civil War Colt revolvers we see, the cylinder "Naval Engagement Scene" is still present at about 50%, way more than we usually see, and there is still a faint COLTS PATENT № marking present next to the serial number. The top of the barrel still has the early pattern Colt "New York" address marking present:

The revolver looks to have seen light to moderate service during the war, and shows a lovely light gray patina in most areas, with some of the original bluing still present in more protected areas. There is a bit of past peppering on the cylinder, but no major oxidation such as pitting present. The revolver has a steel trigger guard, not the usual brass, and in this case still retains a good amount of the original nickel plating near the trigger. However, it also has a period repair just behind the finger loop, which definitely must have taken some effort to break. The COLTS PATENT marking is still fully visible on the left side of the frame, though there is no "36CAL" marking on the trigger guard, which is common. The walnut grip is in lovely service used condition, showing wear from use in service, with past chipping on the front toe, now smoothed away, and it also has wear around the rim as we usually see.

The revolver cycles well, with accurate indexing and strong cylinder lock up. We did not notice any of the finicky behavior we often see on revolvers of this age. The front sight on the barrel has been replaced with a copper "half-moon" shaped type, and the sight groove on the hammer has also been adjusted. The revolver still breaks down properly with removal of the barrel wedge, and the barrel to frame connection is solid. The bore is in excellent condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. The "progressive rifling" used when making these revolvers is still clearly visible, which increases the rate of twist closer to the muzzle. There is some light past oxidation and fouling near the forcing cone, now cleaned away, making this a really great bore for a service used Civil War revolver. The cap nipples are all intact and clear on the cylinder, showing past oxidation and powder burn on the exterior, which was later cleaned away.

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

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1857
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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