1849 Pocket Colt

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Skinny 1950

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
532
Location
Vancouver B.C. Canada
I have just received a Pocket Colt 1849 Model .31 ...5 shot revolver Ser # 1875XX and was wondering if the markings on the barrel mean any thing.
How many Colt Pistols had Col. SamL markings on them.
 
Berkley,
That last statement about the cylinder has to be incorrect for a '49, they only came in five bangers... Is that a generic statement about Colt's percussion revolvers, regarding 5 or 6 chamber?

It doesn't appear to be because it speaks of the cylinder shape and the roll engraved scene which appeared on those small frame pistols. It seems strange he would make a mistake like that.

~Mako
 
Mako,

My edition of R.L. Wilson's "The Colt Heritage" on page 43, describing the Model 1849 Pocket model says they came in 5 and 6 shot versions.
 
Hey guys,
I stand corrected, I just consulted my Colts Collector's Association info and sure enough, mainly above SN 200,000 they made some in 6 shot cylinders. It seems they ran them in 6 shot versions in serial number blocks.

This is why this is fun, you can learn something every day.

I've have (not had) an original five shot 1849 SN 70XXX Mfd. in 1853 that is in pristine shape, probably an "underwear drawer" gun and never fired. I bought it because the '49 is the best value of any Colt's percussion revolver and they are usually in the best shape. I also have two 1860s, one produced in 1861 and the other in 1862. The older one is a "family" gun passed down since issue.

Thanks for the education, I mean that seriously.

Regards,
Mako
 
Last edited:
In 1860, Colt introduced what he called "silver spring steel" and redesigned the pocket models to hold 6 charges instead of five
Hd May 12,1860
To the Trade
Gentlemen
In looking over your returns I find that you sell but few of the six chambered Pocket Pistols in comparison to the old fashioned Five Chambered cillinders, this seems to me quite strange. I should certainly think that the extry charge would incrias the value at least one dollar on a Pocket pistol that costs 9 to 12 dollars. I wish you would make an effort to point out to your customers the advantages and value of this extry superior silver steel that we are now using. Its superior quallety & toughness enables us to make this six chambered pistol perfectly safe without increasing the wate of the Pistol.
I hope & expect the day is not far distant when we shall be able to apply our new silver steel to the other larger sizes Pistols & then we can grately reduce there weight. The steel we now make for our barrels and cylinders is at least three times as strong as that formally used & the wate of the arms can be materially reduced.
We have been experrimenting upon steel for a long time boath here & at our wirks in Europe to obtain this grate result & I wish you would take a little pains to advise your Customers & give notiriaty to the cause which enables us to put 6 chambers instead of 5 into the cillinders of our pocket Pistols
Your &c
S COLT
Prest
Click to expand...
-Connecticut Historical Society, Letters of Samuel Colt, quoted in The Story of Colt's Revolver, William B. Edwards
 
Perhaps it was his wife who was good at arithmetic. That is the case in my situation, but then I'm clearly no SamL Colt.:scrutiny:;)
 
'49 is a fine little handgun. This is a photograph of one of mine just coming off of a hard winter in Alaska. Has since been reblued and brought up to my standards. Don't have a photograph of it since I had it reblued. Have a Colt (I think 5 inch barrel best I remember) never been fired and it reside's in a safety deposit box in the banking institution I patronize. NRA get's it if I leave before Jesus make's it back. I found it inside of a military surplus heater down in New Orleans....
 

Attachments

  • Glen's photographs 058.jpg
    Glen's photographs 058.jpg
    275.3 KB · Views: 45
Yeah, my edition of Flayderman's guide to Antique American Firearsms... shows the Colt Model 1849 to have five or six-shot cylinders, and the six-shot models are worth a premium.

Hey there Charcoal, that's fine looking Colt you have there! Is that a real Pocket Revolver or is that a "Sears" Pocket Revolver? Extra points if you know where that line came from.
 
No, don't know where that line came from right offhand. The '49 pictured here is a Uberti. The Colt in the safety deposit box is original. (real Colt)..However, there's not much doubt in this razor sharp military computer located between the ears of Mrs._______'s little boy that the Uberti is built of better materials and probably shoot's a hell of a lot better and with all things being equal would probably outlast the Colt by a long ways....
 
Here's my Pocket Revolver. I don't know if it's a five or six-shot cylinder; I guess I'll have to make another trip to the attic to find out.
DSCN0145.gif
And here's another one, at least I think it is. Notably, the barrel in the area near the ram rod is quite different between the two guns. So I'm not sure if they're both Pocket Revolvers. Anyone have ideas?
DSCN0134.gif
 
Norton,
They are both 1849 Pocket revolvers. The top one is a 5 shot and the bottom one is a 6 shot. I see nothing different about the area of the barrels by the rammer. The bottom one shows the bullet cut out on the right side and the top one shows the left side
 
At first the loading groove on the right side of barrel lug was of small, sharp design; later this groove was enlarged and beveled. Then the under part of the barrel lug was made a little larger and stronger
Click to expand...
-Serven, Colt Firearms
j0jmdx.jpg
The 1849 was the most popular of all percussion Colts in the days of original use.... 325,000 of Hartford manufacture plus 11,000 from a factory set up in London.... No other Colt came close to equaling the '49 Pocket's total production run until well into the twentieth century. So many variations exist in the 1849s that the model has become a prime specialty among collectors. A relatively complete '49 group would number about 200 specimens.
Click to expand...
Colt, An American Legend, R.L. Wilson
---------------------------
The major barrel markings:
288z6hi.jpg
In fact there are many minor variations, with brackets or dashes, direction of stamping, size of lettering, etc, etc, etc. An entire book, Colt's Variations of the Old Model Pocket Pistol by Schumaker, is devoted to this stuff.
 
Good post Berkley. In the views shown by the OP, these variations of the lug area can not be seen. I did not realize there was that much difference as you have shown. Learn something almost every day. :)
 
Hey Junkman and Berkley, thanks so much for the information about the Colt Pocket Revolvers. I now see what you're saying about there being right and left sides of the barrel: the cut-out is only on the right side! I just assumed a symmetrical barrel and didn't bother to go up in the attic to investigate further.

Jason
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
1849 colt pocket reliability issues
Replies
6
Views
340
damoc
damoc
S
  • Locked
1849 Colt Pocket 6 inch squareback??
Replies
11
Views
2K
Skinny 1950
S
S
  • Locked
Brass framed Uberti 1849 pocket pistol
Replies
12
Views
2K
Smokin'Joe
S
Blackpowdershooter44
  • Locked
Uberti 1849 Colt Nipple Wrench
Replies
6
Views
785
Blackpowdershooter44
Blackpowdershooter44
Bedfordtec
  • Locked
Colt 1849 6 Shot
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
cowboydave
C
Back
Top