Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Civil War era Colt 3rd Model Dragoon .44 caliber percussion Army revolver manufactured in 1858, with the desirable four screw frame configuration for shoulder stock attachment and a folding long range rear sight on the barrel. The revolver is serial numbered 16929 on the barrel, frame, cylinder, trigger guard, and grip frame, with matching shortened number 6929 on the loading lever, barrel wedge, and cylinder arbor.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Colt Model 1848 Dragoon was developed as a more practical evolution of the earlier Walker revolver and was intended for mounted military use. The Third Model Dragoon can be quickly distinguished by a trigger guard that is round at the back and rectangular cylinder stops. The Dragoons were used by the 1st and 2nd Dragoons and U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen in the West in the antebellum era and saw extensive use by both sides during the Civil War.

Towards the end of production, to be more appealing on the commercial market, some Third Model Dragoon revolvers were made with two extended screws on the rear bottom of the frame for the attachment of a shoulder stock, resulting in the desirable "Four Screw" variety. They were additionally fitted with a 3 leaf long range rear sight on the rear top of the barrel, which would result in removal of part of the barrel marking. Only about 1,500 of these were produced, representing about 15% of third model production.

This example is chambered in .44 caliber percussion and retains its 7 1/2" barrel and six shot cylinder. The matching serial number:

16929

appears on the barrel, frame, cylinder, trigger guard, and grip frame. The loading lever, barrel wedge, and cylinder arbor are each marked:

6929

corresponding to the shortened form of the full serial number. The serial range places manufacture in 1858.

The barrel is fitted with a German silver half moon front sight and the distinctive long range rear sight assembly, consisting of two folding leaves with a fixed center notch. Installation of this sight partially obscures the one line New York barrel address, which remains readable as:

ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW Y[ORK CITY]

The left side of the frame retains the factory and military markings:

COLTS
PATENT
U. S.

The cylinder originally carried the Dragoon battle scene depicting mounted U.S. Dragoons in combat, but the scene and associated etched markings around the serial number have worn away completely. It is also known that Colt overestimated how many of these would be sold to the military, and stamped "U. S." on many examples that were ultimately sold commercially.

The metalwork has developed an overall worn gray patina with areas of past peppering and light corrosion that appear to have been cleaned away. Repeated cleaning has softened some markings and edges, and there are scattered dents and handling marks. The revolver does not otherwise present as heavily refinished.

The walnut grip remains in good condition with attractive grain and moderate service wear, especially around the lower edges. The grip appears to have been refinished at some point in the past. A faint inspection cartouche ghost remains visible on the right side, which indicates this was definitely an example sold to the military.

The revolver is mechanically complete and cycles, but the action must be operated slowly because the cylinder can overshoot before the cylinder stop engages. The loading rammer operates correctly, and the revolver can be disassembled in the normal manner for cleaning and servicing. These observations describe present mechanical condition only and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire.

The bore retains clear lands and grooves with a mostly bright appearance. The progressive rifling remains visible, while the grooves show some darker areas from past fouling and oxidation. All six percussion nipples are present and open, though they show age, oxidation, and damage from repeated hammer strikes.

Overall condition is very good for a service used 1858 Colt 3rd Model Dragoon. The matching observed serial numbers, four screw frame, folding rear sight, military U.S. marking, original walnut grip, complete loading assembly, and surviving progressive rifling are all strong features. The worn cylinder scene, cleaned peppering, softened markings, refinished grip, faint cartouche, cylinder stop timing issue, bore oxidation, and damaged percussion nipples are all fully disclosed.

With its 1858 manufacture date, matching serial number 16929, four screw shoulder stock frame, folding long range rear sight, U.S. military marking, and largely complete original configuration, this is a notable late production Colt 3rd Model Dragoon. It would fit especially well in a Colt percussion revolver, U.S. mounted arms, Civil War era sidearm, or advanced 19th century American firearms collection.

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1858
Manufacturer: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company
Model: M-1848 Third Model Dragoon
Serial No.: 16929
Caliber: .44cal
Ammunition Type: Percussion Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 7 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 14 inches
Overall Length with Stock:
Action: Single
Feed System: 6 Shot Revolver
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

The Colt M-1848 "Dragoon" revolver evolved from it's predecessor - the massive M1847 "Walker" revolver. Originally produced by Eli Whitney, only 280 Walker Colts were produced and delivered for military service to the Texas Rangers. After delivery, a number of manufacturing and design flaws were discovered with the Walker Colt design, leaving only 82 still in serviceable condition after 8 months of use in the field. To address these issues, Colt introduced the M1848 revolver. The new design included the use of imported carbon steel for the cylinder which drastically cut down on the number of guns that exploded when fired. Additionally, Colt reduced the length of the cylinder to reduce the powder charge, and also reduced the length of the barrel by a full inch. Finally, the loading lever was redesigned and more securely attached to the barrel the barrel via a latch lug that was incorporated on the the under side of the near the muzzle. This allowed the loading lever to remain in place when firing the weapon. These improvement not only made the M1848 pistol stronger, it also reduced its weight by a full 7 ounces; making it a bit more manageable to fire from horseback.

Colt moved production of the Dragoon from Whitneyville to his own factory in Hartford CT in late 1847. The first guns to roll off the line are considered "First Model" Dragoons. Colt produced about 7,000 of these guns from 1848 to 1850. After some minor design tweaks in late 1850 (primarily the adoption of a square cylinder stop notch in the cylinder), the "Second Model" guns were then produced between 1850-1851, with about 2,700 manufactured. The pattern was then modified again in 1851 with the adoption of a round trigger guard (earlier versions of the pistol featured a "square back" trigger guard); and with this change the final iteration of the Dragoon, the "Third Model" went into production in 1851 and remained in production through about 1861, with roughly 10,500 being produced. Production totals for the Colt Dragoon series of revolvers are nearly 20,000 in total; with about 10,000 purchased by the US government for military use.

Of the roughly 10,000 Colt Dragoons purchased by the government, a small number of them (946 guns to be exact) were built in a "carbine" configuration. These pistols featured a detachable butt stock which could be added to the pistol when mounted and allow the revolver to be used in the roll of a cavalry carbine. When dismounted, or when fighting in close quarters, the pistol could be used with the stock detached as a traditional revolver. The idea was first tested with the adoption of the M1855 "Pistol Carbine" - a large single shot cavalry pistol that featured a detachable butt stock. Field reports of the M1855 Pistol Carbine were a bit lack luster - the weapon was too large and unwieldy to be used effective as a cavalry pistol, and too short to provide much accuracy when used as a carbine with the stock attached. The Board of Ordnance thought that a weapon that could provide a larger volume of fire could be used to make up for the single shot M1855 pistol-carbines shortcomings and ordered a number of Colt's revolvers to be fitted with detachable butt stocks to test this theory.

Colt produced the first 1848 Dragoon pistols with detachable butt stocks in 1858. The guns are largely identical to the standard production line of M1848 pistols, except for the addition of a "fourth screw" added to the frame and a relief cut made to either side of the recoil shield. These modifications allowed for the addition of a large butt stock to be secured to the stock without interfering with the user's ability to cock and fire the pistol. Additionally, in order to better equip the revolvers for their carbine roles, Colt added a dovetailed leaf sight to barrel for shooting at longer ranges. The finished pistol carbines were shipped in pairs, as they were to be carried in a pair of US cavalry pommel holsters. Because the butt stocks had to be hand fit to the pistols, the serial numbers of each pair of pistols were stamped into the yokes and butt plates of the shoulder stocks. Colt supplied only 946 Dragoon revolvers cut for shoulder stocks over the course of the gun's production run, with the very last carbine configured pistol delivered in 1861. This has made original examples extremely rare and sought after.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.