1849 Colt Pocket 6 inch squareback??

[Skinny 1950]

I have taken an interest in 1849 Pocket Colts and bought an antique one with a 5 inch barrel. I am in the process of fixing this one up so that I can shoot it. In the meantime I have a line on a reproduction Pocket with a 6 inch barrel and a squareback trigger guard. Can anyone tell me if Colt ever made the 1849 with such a triggerguard. The seller sent these pictures if that helps. Thanks a lot.

 

[72coupe]

Skinny I looked around some and see pictures of both but historically I don't know.

 

[oxide80]

It looks like a 1848 Baby Dragoon, I let my Armi San Marco go recently like that one you are looking at. I was told square backs are '48s and round backs are '49s. If you google 1848 Baby Dragoon, you should find some originals with the square back trigger gaurds.

 

[StrawHat]

One thing to consider with the square backed guards. I have two and they are both so small I can NOT get my finger in the guard without tripping the trigger. I do not have large hands or fingers but these seem to be made for really small digits.

 

[madcratebuilder]

The early .31 pocket revolvers had the "Dragoon" style trigger guard. My somewhat dated info claims serial #14465 as the earliest .31 with the small round trigger guard. There were two sizes of the round guards, 23 and 27/32.

Find a copy of P. L. Shumaker's book "COLT'S VARIATIONS of the OLD MODEL POCKET PISTOL 1848-1872" pub 1966, it's the bible for these revolvers IMHO.

 

[DrLaw]

never mind. Didn't catch part of what you had there.

 

[Jim K]

There has been a lot of controversy over the Model 1849, much of it revolving around the squareback trigger guard, with all kinds of esoteric theories. My own two cents is that Sam Colt never threw anything away and that the squareback guards are simply leftovers from Baby Dragoon production that Colt used until they ran out.

FWIW and IMHO, that repro is not a very good one; it doesn't look right and won't feel right. Unless the price is right, I would pass.

Jim

 

[Berkley]

Can anyone tell me if Colt ever made the 1849 with such a triggerguard.

That repro is a mixmaster of styles. It has the trigger guard of a baby dragoon, with the cylinder and barrel of an 1849 pocket model.
Colt did make a very few baby dragoons with added rammers, but the cylinder stop slots were round and the barrel lugs a different shape.

 

[madcratebuilder]

That repro is a mixmaster of styles. It has the trigger guard of a baby dragoon, with the cylinder and barrel of an 1849 pocket model.
Colt did make a very few baby dragoons with added rammers, but the cylinder stop slots were round and the barrel lugs a different shape.

Approximately the first 3600 improved pocket pistols with rammers used the last supply of the square back trigger guards. Colt did not consider this as a model change but as a improvement in the continuing line of pocket pistols.

 

[StrawHat]

This photo was lost in yesterdays transfer. Here is a photo of another style of Baby Dragoon available.

 

[sirdutch]

1849 colt

Hello,

I have acquired a colt model 1849. This one is a six shot model with 4 inch barrel. It is nickeled. The trigger guard and back strap are not magnetic so I am assuming it is silver plated brass. It has most of the finish on it. All the numbers match. The cylinder has the matching serial number. It is faint but readable. There is absolutely no scene on this one and appears to never have had one, The wedge is also matching The barrel address is a Hartford one and features the SAMl Colt 2 line version. The action is tight, the nipples are excellent. The bore is dark. I would appreciate some advice as how to clean it. The grips have some dents on the bottom but are nice. I have attached some photos. Thanks for guesstimate of it's value. Oh, it's date of manufacture to be 1862.

I'm not savvy on how to get around on this forum and how to start new threads so if you would direct me to someone who is an expert in this field I would appreciate it If I can figuire out how to attach photos of this revolver they will appear with this post. I've done it before but it has been awhile

Thanks,

Meindert

 

[Skinny 1950]

I went ahead and got the Pocket Colt 48 or 49 ??? It is a really nice little gun,very tight action and the most reliable of all my cap and ball revolvers. The .31 cal balls are tiny compared to the .44's. I can shoot this gun all day and use very little powder.
Here is a picture of my Pocket's so far.
The top one is a Manhattan .36 Navy Series IV in fair condition.
In the middle is a 1849 Colt Pocket .31 in rough shape but I am fixing it up.
On the bottom is my reproduction .31 Pocket in near new condition..good shooter.