4038

PRESENTATION FACTORY ENGRAVED AND IVORY MOUNTED

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
PRESENTATION FACTORY ENGRAVED AND IVORY MOUNTED

COLT MODEL 1861 NAVY REVOLVER. Cal. 36. S# 18670 IE. Standard configuration. Bbl. 7.5" rnd. Ulrich engraved, silverplated, “certifiable antique ivory” grips, iron backstrap inscribed “Col. Colt to Capt. J.C. Comstock / Hartford Light Guard”. Revolver is featured in a 2013 article in Texas Heritage Magazine. The article states that Comstock, after leading his men at 1st Manassas, became ill & came home to Hartford where the very ill Colt gave his good friend this revolver before Colt would die in January 1862, Comstock died a month later. This gun, however; is quite an enigma as the published serial range would indicate manufacture in 1864, well past Col. Colt’s death. The inscription however appears original. Colt authority R.L. “Larry” Wilson stated in accompanying letter of authenticity “It is possible that as an important presentation, the revolver had such special or rushed attention in the engraving department that a mistaken serial marking was employed. It could also be that Colt wanted the public & the industry to feel that his production numbers [of this new model] were higher than the actual… Colt is known e.g., of skipping serial numbers to make it appear that more pieces were made than actual fact. A prime example of this is deluxe cased & engraved Model 1851 Navy revolver serial number 69367… Since only about 42,000 London navies were produced, the highest serial range of the specimen is hard to explain. Colt fanciers must expect to occasionally come upon unexplainable mysteries of manufacture which spark the imagination.” Regardless, this is a beautiful & attractive original Ulrich factory engraved revolver & is very moderately estimated. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: 12 page letter from R.L. Wilson stating the importance of this revolver: copy of article “A Gift for a Friend” from volume 3 Texas Heritage 2013. CONDITION: very good to fine overall. Crisp markings, much of the original silver is present, mostly discernible cyl. scene, all 6 crisp safety pins. Smooth ivory grips are well fit w/ good patina. Mechanically fine w/ crisp rifled bore. Accompanying very good reproduction Colt casing & powder flask display revolver nicely. (01-19826). ANTIQUE. $4,000-6,000.