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 serial number 99677 on the barrel, cylinder, frame, grip frame, and trigger guard. The cylinder arbor pin, barrel wedge, and loading rammer are all marked with shortened number 0976. This makes this a very desirable "ALL MATCHING" example of the M1851 Navy revolver, without any major parts swapped out over the years! 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, and there is definitely the possibility it could have been used on the Confederate side.

A sizable portion of the Colt 1851 Navy revolvers manufactured in the 90,000 to 100,000 serial range are believed to have shipped to the South in the months prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Unfortunately, the shipping records for much of the 1851 production were lost in the 1864 fire that destroyed most of the Colt factory. The records that did survive start at 98,000 and they run up to 135,000. This leaves a small window of just about 2,000 Model 1851's built in the early part of 1861 (before the war began) that can letter with the possibility of shipping to Confederate territory.

As such, this revolver does come with a Colt Factory letter from the office of the Colt Historian Beverly Jean Haynes. The paper used has the correct Colt Letterhead and bears a raised stamp. It is dated June 3, 2025, and indicates it is a COLT MODEL 1851 REVOLVER, with the caliber listed as .36/c and the barrel length listed as 7 ½". The finish is listed as Blue and the type of stocks Wood, which were standard for the 1851 Navy. The gun was shipped on January 22, 1861 with 25 other guns of the same type to the Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Mfg. Company, New York Office.

This means that it was definitely not part of a shipment sent to the Federal government, and may have been intended for private sale. However that does not mean that it was not used during the war, and still could have seen service on either side as a private purchase item. This does mean however that there most likely are not any further records that could be researched to find out more about the life of this wonderful piece. We very rarely are able to offer Colt percussion firearms with factory letters due to the large loss of records during the factory fire, making this one of the few times we have had one available.

Unlike most that we see, there is still about 40% of the "Naval Engagement Scene" on the cylinder is still present, and there is also a partial [COLT'S] PATENT No. next to the cylinder serial. We often see these markings completely worn away, so this is definitely a rare treat! The top of the barrel still has the Colt "Hartford" address marking fully intact and crisp:-

There is still debate over the use of the "Hartford" address during this period, however it is thought that many of the revolvers so marked were specifically made for orders doing to the South during the years leading up to the Civil War. New York was viewed as the center of the abolitionist movement, so changing the address to Hartford, the actual address of the Colt Factory, was a way to make the revolvers more acceptable in the South. There are many known Confederate used Colt revolvers that had the Hartford address.

The revolver looks to have seen a good amount of service during the war, and displays a lovely patina of age, with no signs of having been refinished at any point. The plating on the trigger guard and grip are completely missing, with the brass showing a lovely mustard patina. The COLTS PATENT marking on the left side of the frame is still crisp, though 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 definitely overall wear, especially around the bottom bevel. There are no traces of inspection cartouches, however there are the initials G T carved into the left side of the grip, a type of personalization often seen on Confederate guns.

The revolver cycles well, with accurate indexing and a solid cylinder lockup, though it must be cycled somewhat slowly. The slots for the cylinder stop on the cylinder are worn, and the stop is a bit as well, so it can over shoot a bit if the hammer is pulled back quickly. The bore is in good condition, showing clear land and grooves, with oxidation and fouling overall, now cleaned away. It definitely looks to have seen a good amount of service, but was well cared for over the years. The cap nipple cones are all intact and clear on the cylinder, showing wear and oxidation on the exterior.

This is a lovely "Confederate Serial Range" 1851 Navy dating from the Civil War with a lovely patina of age, a very nice acquisition for any collection, especially with the Colt Factory letter! 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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