Original Items: One of a Kind Set. Gustave Young is generally considered to be the best Master Arms Engraver operating in the United States during the 1800s. Born in Germany during 1827, Young came to the United States in the 1846, and would become Colt’s primary engraving contractor from 1852 into the mid 1860's. During this time he would mentor the then-apprentice Conrad Ulrich, leave Colt, and return to run his own shop full-time.

In the late 1860s, he then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he began taking in work primarily from Smith & Wesson, while also continuing to service many of his previous clients. There are examples of Gustave Young’s hand on Colts, Smith & Wessons, Sharps, Bullards, Peabody and Martinis, and even some Winchesters. He practiced his craft until his death in 1895, and was succeeded by his sons Eugene and Oscar, who would continue his work with Smith & Wesson until 1913.

This is a fantastic Colt Navy Model 1851 Percussion Revolver in .36 caliber, which was engraved from the factory by Gustave Young. This is the first time we have ever had an example of one of these works of art, which are all truly one of a kind. It is decorated with his distinctive Germanic scrollwork, showing off his European training. As is correct for his work, the backgrounds between designs are the "punch dot" style, and there is also what looks to be the head of a large cat on the left side of the barrel by the breech. The hammer has been engraved to look like a Wolf's Head, another distinctive aspect of his style. Please examine the high resolution photos of the revolver, as words really cannot fully describe the engraving nor do his artistry justice.

In addition to the engraving, it also has been fitted with a fantastic ivory grip, which features a high-relief carved Eagle with a snake in its beak, which is also being held by one of its feet. This is easily recognizable as one of the symbols of Mexico, so it is very possible that this revolver was given as some type of presentation piece, or was later customized by a new owner. We sadly do not have any information on the history of this pistol.

Originally called the Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber (i.e., .36 cal), it was later known as the Colt 1851 Navy or Navy Revolver, and is a cap and ball revolver that was designed by Samuel Colt between 1847 and 1850. Widely used by both sides in the U.S. Civil War, 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 Young-engraved example features a standard 7 1/2" barrel, and is marked with serial number 96430 on the barrel, cylinder, frame, grip frame, and trigger guard. The cylinder arbor pin and loading rammer are both marked with shortened number 6430, while the barrel wedge is non-matching, marked with 3340. This makes this a very desirable "Mostly 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 1860, right at the onset of the Civil War, however given the engraving and ivory grip, we do not believe it was used during the conflict. This is also the exact right time frame for a Gustave Young revolver.

To make this offering even better, it came to us with a fantastic custom wood case, which measures approximately 14 1/2" x 6 3/4" x 2 1/2", and has different compartments inside, all red velvet lined. These are for various accessories one might use with the pistol, and in the case is a very nice COLT'S PATENT marked bullet mold with inlets for round and tipped bullets, a lovely U.S. themed brass powder flask, and a cap nipple cone wrench along with some spare nipple cones. There is also a compartment full of round and conical bullets, two percussion cap tins, and even a re-wrapped carton for "cartridges", which were preloaded inside paper sleeves. The case is lovely, and at one time had a lock at the front, however it has been disabled.

Unlike most that we see, there is still about 50% of the "Naval Engagement Scene" on the cylinder is still present, and the COLT'S PATENT No. next to the cylinder serial is still partly visible. 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. If someone was in the position to give this as a gift to someone in Mexico, we assume they would have lived in Texas or some other area near Mexico.

The revolver looks to have seen light to moderate use during its life, and displays a lovely worn patina of age from cleaning and use, with no signs of having been refinished at any point. The plating on the trigger guard and grip is still partially present, with the exposed brass showing a lovely mustard patina. The hand-engraved COLT'S PATENT marking on the left side of the frame is still crisp, and there is no caliber marking on the trigger guard, typical for an engraved revolver. The ivory grip is fantastic, showing a lovely color with some age-related stress cracking. We can see the striations and grain that make these old grips so beautiful, and the Mexican eagle carving is simply magnificent.

The revolver cycles perfectly, 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 just 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 some past 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, which are often like stove pipes. The cap nipple cones are all intact and clear on the cylinder, showing wear and oxidation on the exterior, and look to be original.

This is a fantastic collector's opportunity, the likes of which we are unlikely to ever see again. Gustave Young was extremely well-regarded during his life, and after passing away his reputation has only grown. With the beautiful carved ivory grip and custom wood case with accessories, this could be the crown jewel of any 19th century arms collection. In wonderful condition and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1860
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.

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 most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for 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.

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