Original item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition example of a Colt Navy percussion revolver, manufactured in 1867 and fitted with some fantastic aged ivory grips. The 1861 Navy Revolvers have always been hard to find, being much overshadowed by the famous Colt 1851 Navy Model. The 1851 had a 36 caliber Octagonal barrel, and many thousands saw service in the Civil War. The 1861 Navy Model was also in 36 caliber but the barrel was modeled after the 1860 Colt Army model, being totally round. Easier and more economical to produce, the 1861 was designed to replace the model 1851, and should have been a great success. However the 1851 model was so well established that production continued long after the Civil War had ended.

Our example has a Serial Number of 30185, indicating manufacture in 1867, 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. It bears the same serial number on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, and grip frame, while the cylinder and arbor pin are marked with shortened number 185. The barrel wedge looks to be an unmarked arsenal replacement. It is in the expected .36 caliber and shows a lovely patina of age, which when combined with the aged ivory grips really makes this a showpiece!

Top of the barrel still has the original Colt markings partly visible:

The COLT'S PATENT marking on the side plate is clear, as is the 36CAL on the trigger guard. However, the cylinder has definitely been cleaned over the years, which has completely removed the original "Naval Engagement Scene" on the cylinder. This is quite common on both the Army and Navy variations of the revolver.

The aged ivory grips are simply wonderful, showing a lovely grain pattern and a great color. There is a chunk missing on the front left toe, as we often see, and one side may be a different type of ivory than the other. We are not able to confirm whether this is marine ivory or something else, so as such this revolver is not available for export.

The frame to barrel connection on this is rock solid, with the barrel wedge making a tight fit. It functions well, with proper indexing and cylinder lock up, though the main spring is a bit weak, so the hammer does have significant front to back play. The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly partly bright bore with clear lands and grooves. There is some past oxidation, now cleaned away, and also there is a partial ring of oxidation / pitting on the interior, most likely from a stuck bullet that allowed oxidation to set in. We checked the exterior of the barrel and there is no bulge that we can feel or measure. All of the cap nipple cones on the revolver are present and clear, showing some wear and oxidation.

A very nice genuine example of the rare Colt 1861 Navy Revolver from the Indian Wars era with some fantastic looking ivory grips. This would be perfect for display in any Indian wars collection.

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1867
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 Colt 1861 Navy

The Colt Model 1861 Navy cap & ball .36-caliber revolver was a six-shot, single-action percussion weapon produced by Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1861 until 1873. It incorporated the "creeping" or ratchet loading lever and round barrel of the .44-caliber Army Model of 1860 but had a barrel one half inch shorter, at 7.5 inches. Total production was 38,000 revolvers.

Like its forerunner, the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, it saw widespread use in the American Civil War and on the American Western frontier, though far fewer were produced. It has the same general specification as the earlier model, but with a rounded barrel and somewhat different rammer. While similar in design to the Colt Army Model 1860, the lighter recoil of the 1861 Navy's .36 caliber was preferred by some cavalry soldiers.

There were few variations of the Model 1861 Navy Colt. Approximately 100 of the first guns made had fluted cylinders with no cylinder scene. Another 100, made between the serial ranges of 11,000 and 14,000 were cut for a shoulder stock — the lower portion of the recoil shield was milled away and a fourth screw for the stock was added to the frame. With the exception of the first fifty or so of this model, all guns had a capping groove. A brass trigger guard and back strap, silver-plated, were standard.

During the Civil War its main competitor in England was the Adams self-cocking revolver. The Adams fired a .49 caliber bullet and did not require the shooter to pull the hammer back. Colt's revolver was more popular because Colt mass-produced his weapons while Adams' products were handmade by skilled artisans. In the United States, Colt's main rival was the Remington Model 1858 revolver.

The Colt 1861 Navy typically was used with paper cartridges, that is, with a cartridge consisting of nitrated paper, a pre-measured black powder charge, and a bullet that was either a lead round ball or a lead conical bullet. The nitrated paper of the cartridge was completely consumed upon use, and the use of paper cartridges enabled faster re-loading. Alternatively, it was always possible to load with measured powder charges and lead round balls.

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