- I believe that is an actual authentic antique Colt revolver -
- Sam Colt was quite stubborn and resisted updating to a much stronger one-piece full frame with the barrel firmly screwed into to frame.
- Sam Colt died in 1862 - early in the War between the States.
- The US Army brass was demanding a full frame and after the ‘72-’72 Colt Richards, Richards-Mason, and Model 1872 Open-Top (I have M1872 grip frames and the original walnut one-piece grips on my circa 1898 Colt FSS .44-40 right now)
- Frank Henninger and Charles Mason designed the full-frame Colt Single Action Army in 1872 and Colt has manufactured the Colt SAA fom 1873 until today; the US Army finally got it’s way.
- Well-balanced but slow to load and remove cartridge brass and reload - Custer could have used the Smith & Wesson “.45 Scofield” on his last day; a hinged two-piece revolver that automatically ejected the six .45 Scofile brass and you could quickly reloaded - later with “moon-clips” you could load all 4 new cartridges at once, flip the barrel down and forward to lock the revolver in place and start firing at the Indians who had Civil War repeating Henrys, Spencers, and even the still made and sold lever-action repeaters: Winchester Model 1873 .44-40 carbines and rifles
- I am build several black powder cap & ball revolvers now using Pietta and Uberti revolver frames and parts and some conversion to cartridge cylinders (types used by Remington in 1860-1874) in the Model 1858 and in 1872 when S&W’s bored-thru cylinder patent ran out - the Colts
- “Pale Rider” type 1858 Remington Navy .38 conversion
- ‘’Good, Bad, Ugly” 1851 Colt Navy .38 conversion
- I am also doing some conversions to .22lr for Colts and Remingtons - Italian made clones and originals with the early frames and parts - these remain cap & ball percussion handguns -
- Ivory often is cracked as on that Colt revolver - morons now are going to ban elephant ivory and walrus ivory - mammoth ivory will still be legal.
- Millions will no longer be allowed to sell or give away their 600 year old carved ivory while countless tons of ivory sits in Africa and Russia - the Hell with the Africans who live their and are kept like monkeys in a zoo by the crazy environmental lefties.
-
- PS -
That is likely to be a stainless steel or nickel-plated Model of 1850 Colt New Army revolver - likely a 1960’s-80’s 2nd or 3rd Generation Colt Black Powder Series (made for Colt by Uberti of Italy) or colt Signature Series - fitted with a drop-in cartridge conversion in .22lr
- Antique Colts are great - but can cost up to $75,000 or more in mint condition
- You can find one from $699 to $4,000 - to $25,000
- Unlike gold or silver they go up in value - not ever down -
- sources :
http://Taylors.com
http://KirstKonversions.com
“- I believe that is an actual authentic antique Colt revolver...”
If that is so, the pictured gun has been the subject of extensive rework. Refinish is either nickel or chrome plate: difficult to differentiate in a photo, easier in person. But the rounded edges and dished-out holes where the three screws come through give it away. The placement of the stop notches in relation to the nipple recesses does not match an original, and there aren’t any nipples.
Interesting caliber conversion.
“- Sam Colt was quite stubborn and resisted updating to a much stronger one-piece full frame with the barrel firmly screwed into to frame.
- Sam Colt died in 1862 - early in the War between the States. ...”
Sam might not be so highly regarded had he lived. As devolve has noted, he resisted every innovation that made the revolver such a success in the last 1/3 of the 19th century (metallic cartridges, solid frames, double action).
His cap-and-ball configurations (frame, cylinder arbor, barrel wedged on the front) were indeed less stout, but they are easier to clean and maintain than any competing design. And any arm firing black powder simply *must* be taken to bits for thorough cleaning, if the owner wants it to remain reliable and to last.
The Smith & Wesson hinged frame was another amazing innovation for its time, but total strength was scarcely any better than the barrel-wedge configuration of the original Colts. Henninger and Mason’s solid frame Single Action Army was a better bet for strength and durability - key attributes for the Ordnance Corps. Annoyingly, the latch is the weakest point of the Nr 3 and all smaller S&W top-break revolvers; only a little wear loosens the joint to the point where the arm will pop open on firing, with serious results. Far better was the Webley configuration (present on earlier British revolvers I think), reversing S&W’s arrangement by mounting the latch on the standing breech. Revolver buffs will recall that the Nr 3 variant modified by George Schofield for the Ordnance Corps bears a latch quite different from other S&W hinged frames.
With deference to devolve’s historical research, my memory of what I read tells me that on 25 June 1876 George Armstrong Custer was not carrying the latest issue revolver (Colt Single Action). He was carrying a brace of revolvers gifted to him by some notable personage: S&W Old Model 1-1/2 or Old Model 2, chambered in 32 rimfire. They were hinged frame but not auto-ejecting. The Nr 3 Schofield had not yet been taken into US Army service.
In fairness to all involved, I cannot dispel serious doubts about the 7th Cavalry Regiment’s chances, even if they had been armed with Schofields. The odds were not in their favor.
And even the most talented commander can have a bad day.
“- I believe that is an actual authentic antique Colt revolver...”
If that is so, the pictured gun has been the subject of extensive rework. Refinish is either nickel or chrome plate: difficult to differentiate in a photo, easier in person. But the rounded edges and dished-out holes where the three screws come through give it away. The placement of the stop notches in relation to the nipple recesses does not match an original, and there aren’t any nipples.
Interesting caliber conversion.
“- Sam Colt was quite stubborn and resisted updating to a much stronger one-piece full frame with the barrel firmly screwed into to frame.
- Sam Colt died in 1862 - early in the War between the States. ...”
Sam might not be so highly regarded had he lived. As devolve has noted, he resisted every innovation that made the revolver such a success in the last 1/3 of the 19th century (metallic cartridges, solid frames, double action).
His cap-and-ball configurations (frame, cylinder arbor, barrel wedged on the front) were indeed less stout, but they are easier to clean and maintain than any competing design. And any arm firing black powder simply *must* be taken to bits for thorough cleaning, if the owner wants it to remain reliable and to last.
The Smith & Wesson hinged frame was another amazing innovation for its time, but total strength was scarcely any better than the barrel-wedge configuration of the original Colts. Henninger and Mason’s solid frame Single Action Army was a better bet for strength and durability - key attributes for the Ordnance Corps. Annoyingly, the latch is the weakest point of the Nr 3 and all smaller S&W top-break revolvers; only a little wear loosens the joint to the point where the arm will pop open on firing, with serious results. Far better was the Webley configuration (present on earlier British revolvers I think), reversing S&W’s arrangement by mounting the latch on the standing breech. Revolver buffs will recall that the Nr 3 variant modified by George Schofield for the Ordnance Corps bears a latch quite different from other S&W hinged frames.
With deference to devolve’s historical research, my memory of what I read tells me that on 25 June 1876 George Armstrong Custer was not carrying the latest issue revolver (Colt Single Action). He was carrying a brace of revolvers gifted to him by some notable personage: S&W Old Model 1-1/2 or Old Model 2, chambered in 32 rimfire. They were hinged frame but not auto-ejecting. The Nr 3 Schofield had not yet been taken into US Army service.
In fairness to all involved, I cannot dispel serious doubts about the 7th Cavalry Regiment’s chances, even if they had been armed with Schofields. The odds were not in their favor.
And even the most talented commander can have a bad day.
“- I believe that is an actual authentic antique Colt revolver...”
If that is so, the pictured gun has been the subject of extensive rework. Refinish is either nickel or chrome plate: difficult to differentiate in a photo, easier in person. But the rounded edges and dished-out holes where the three screws come through give it away. The placement of the stop notches in relation to the nipple recesses does not match an original, and there aren’t any nipples.
Interesting caliber conversion.
“- Sam Colt was quite stubborn and resisted updating to a much stronger one-piece full frame with the barrel firmly screwed into to frame.
- Sam Colt died in 1862 - early in the War between the States. ...”
Sam might not be so highly regarded had he lived. As devolve has noted, he resisted every innovation that made the revolver such a success in the last 1/3 of the 19th century (metallic cartridges, solid frames, double action).
His cap-and-ball configurations (frame, cylinder arbor, barrel wedged on the front) were indeed less stout, but they are easier to clean and maintain than any competing design. And any arm firing black powder simply *must* be taken to bits for thorough cleaning, if the owner wants it to remain reliable and to last.
The Smith & Wesson hinged frame was another amazing innovation for its time, but total strength was scarcely any better than the barrel-wedge configuration of the original Colts. Henninger and Mason’s solid frame Single Action Army was a better bet for strength and durability - key attributes for the Ordnance Corps. Annoyingly, the latch is the weakest point of the Nr 3 and all smaller S&W top-break revolvers; only a little wear loosens the joint to the point where the arm will pop open on firing, with serious results. Far better was the Webley configuration (present on earlier British revolvers I think), reversing S&W’s arrangement by mounting the latch on the standing breech. Revolver buffs will recall that the Nr 3 variant modified by George Schofield for the Ordnance Corps bears a latch quite different from other S&W hinged frames.
With deference to devolve’s historical research, my memory of what I read tells me that on 25 June 1876 George Armstrong Custer was not carrying the latest issue revolver (Colt Single Action). He was carrying a brace of revolvers gifted to him by some notable personage: S&W Old Model 1-1/2 or Old Model 2, chambered in 32 rimfire. They were hinged frame but not auto-ejecting. The Nr 3 Schofield had not yet been taken into US Army service.
In fairness to all involved, I cannot dispel serious doubts about the 7th Cavalry Regiment’s chances, even if they had been armed with Schofields. The odds were not in their favor.
And even the most talented commander can have a bad day.