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, and continued to be used into the Indian Wars period prior to the expiration of the White patent. 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 211198 on the barrel, frame, grip frame, and trigger guard. The barrel wedge is an unmarked arsenal replacement, and the cylinder looks to have been replaced with a reconditioned one. It does have the number 198 stamped lightly on the side, but we do not believe it is original to the revolver, and the marking was added when it was swapped in. The cylinder arbor pin marking is worn away, and the pin itself is split at the rear bottom of the wedge inlet. Colt records indicate that this revolver was produced in 1870, a few years after the end of the U.S. Civil War. This most likely saw service in the "Old West", most likely being used in the Indian Wars during the earliest days of the Western Frontier.

Like many we see, the original "Naval Engagement Scene" on the cylinder is completely worn away by the resurfacing, and the COLT'S PATENT No. next to the cylinder serial is just a ghost. We can also see what look like holes in the side of the cylinder, but we believe these to be flaws from original manufacture, exposed when the cylinder was resurfaced. The top of the barrel still has a clear crisp Colt "New York" address marking:-

The revolver looks to have seen a good amount of service, and displays a lovely oxidized patina of age, with no signs of having been refinished, except for the cylinder. The plating on the trigger guard and grip is completely missing, with the brass showing a lovely mustard patina. The COLTS PATENT marking is still visible on the left side of the frame, and there is a clear 36 CAL marked on the trigger guard. The grip is in very good service used condition, looking to still have some of the original varnish present, with the rest worn away.

The frame to barrel connection on this is rock solid, even with the cracked arbor pin, and doesn't look to have been adjusted in the past. The barrel wedge does remove with some effort, allowing the revolver to be disassembled for cleaning. It functions well, with proper indexing and cylinder lock up, though it can overshoot at times. We also noticed that if the trigger is pulled lightly it can hang up on half cock. The bore is in very good condition, still showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves but also areas of past fouling and past oxidation. Still, this is definitely above average for many percussion revolvers, which often have bores like stovepipes. The cap nipples are all intact and clear on the cylinder, though they definitely do show wear from use powder burn.

This is a very nice service used 1851 Navy dating from the Indian Wars era with a lovely worn patina, a very nice acquisition for any collection. In lovely patinated condition and ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: 1870
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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