railroadman
Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2012
- Messages
- 56
This is a colt says NY city 36 cal 6 shoot.It is 95+ condition The seril number says it was made in 1871.Could this be REAL????????????????
I have a COLT 1851
- Thread starter railroadman
- Start date
- Status
Curator
Member
Colt manufactured the 1851 Navy pistol right up until 1873, and it would have the New York address. Write to the Hartford Conn. Library about a "factory letter" to get actual authentication.
Yes it could be real, and in the described condition very valuable. But it could also be something else, and the provided information isn't enough for us to tell - one way or the other. Clear, close-up photographs would be necessary to start with.
Fingers McGee
Member
What Old Fuff said
Olmontanaboy
Member
This is a colt says NY city 36 cal 6 shoot.It is 95+ condition The seril number says it was made in 1871.Could this be REAL????????????????
Crawdad1
Member
It’s definitely worth checking into but just be aware that there is a lot of fraud associated with original Colts.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Need pics but I'd be skeptical about a 140yr old Colt in 95% condition. They don't exactly grow on trees.
On a number of occasions I have examined original 19th century Colt 1851 Navy revolvers, as well as others from the cap & ball era, that were in better then 95% condition. So it is possible because they do exist.
However we have no substantive evidence that the revolver in question is one.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I know they exist, obviously. They just don't grow up on trees, which is why I used the term "skeptical". Elk also exist in Tennessee but if somebody at the local gas station claims to have seen one, I'll be equally skeptical. However, I also understand that just as people win the lottery every week, one will occasionally just "pop-up". 95% Colt 1851's that is.
The big fire that burned down the Colt factory occured in 1864. But some records were duplicated in their New York City office. A flood destroyed more records in 1876, but again some were duplicated.
What records that have survived are shipping (not production) logs. If there is still an entry for "this revolver in question" it will tell the general description of it, what month, day and year it was shipped, and to what distributor (likely), dealer (less likely) or individual (highly unlikely) it was sent to. It will tell absolutely nothing about what it's condition today might be.
Few people know it, but Colt made a handful of 1851 Navy revolvers using left-over parts as late as the 1950's. More so, a number were never used or fired and remain in that condition - or near to it - today. This being the case, one cannot say, "no way!!!" concerning the one in this thread.
But until more evidence is submitted (if it is) it is improbable, but not impossible, that railroadman has what he thinks he might.
What records that have survived are shipping (not production) logs. If there is still an entry for "this revolver in question" it will tell the general description of it, what month, day and year it was shipped, and to what distributor (likely), dealer (less likely) or individual (highly unlikely) it was sent to. It will tell absolutely nothing about what it's condition today might be.
Few people know it, but Colt made a handful of 1851 Navy revolvers using left-over parts as late as the 1950's. More so, a number were never used or fired and remain in that condition - or near to it - today. This being the case, one cannot say, "no way!!!" concerning the one in this thread.
But until more evidence is submitted (if it is) it is improbable, but not impossible, that railroadman has what he thinks he might.
Tommygunn
Member
I never knew that. What on earth for .... I mean by then who would want a 100 year old cap 'n' ball gun.
BADUNAME30
Member
You could put my name right at the top o' that list !!!!
Tommygunn
Member
I was thinking more for general practical purposes. I don't think there were many CAS shooters or re enactors or BP enthusiasts in 1950 and generally, while it was the age of the revolver, people wanted .38s and .32s and other modern fixed ammo revolvers.
BADUNAME30
Member
I 'spect speculatin is all we can 'spect to do huh?
As I understand it, most if not all were given as gifts to people the company considedred to be important. About the same time a small number of Sharps' Carbines were also assembled from spare parts left over from original production.
Who would want either? I know some collectors who would kill to get one.
Tommygunn
Member
Old Fuff said:
I can sympathize! Thanks for answering ... I was curious about it because I would not imagine Colt would have either had the parts or motive to do that. As I said I think this was before the re enactor era.
Would I love to get my mitts on a 1950s vintage 1851 made by Colt from original 19th century parts??
YOU BET!
Not quite. Within the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA) and its satellite clubs there were active cap & ball revolver shooters. At the time reproduction revolvers were a decade away in the future, so original revolvers (often rebuilt) were used and made great shooters. It was there that a much younger Old Fuff learned the exact procedure that was used at Colt while assembling a revolver - from a much older gentleman whose grandfather had worked at the Colt factory.
Olmontanaboy
Member
With this being his one and only post, I'm guessin he's just blowin smoke up our,,,,lol
- Status