"COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY PERCUSSION REVOLVER WITH NAVY SIZE GRIP. SN 35. Cal. 44. This extremely rare Army has the very rare 7-1/2" rnd bbl with German silver front sight and no bbl address. Address may have been removed at the factory. There are dashes where the ends of the address may have been. It has usual rebated cylinder with "COLT'S PATENT" on left side of frame. It has brass trigger guard & backstrap with Navy sized 1-pc walnut grip. Frame is 3-screw, not cut for shoulder stock is without capping groove and it has rack & pinion creeping rammer which is, unusually, matching numbered. According to The Book of Colt Firearms, Wilson, only about ten of these revolvers were ever made, all under serial number 100. He also states that "Similar prototype arms are in the Wadsworth Atheneum, Connecticut State Library, and private collections. None of these has barrel markings." PROVENANCE: Little John's Auction, June 2004, Lot 627 CONDITION: Fine, all matching including wedge & grip. Bbl retains a cleaned but now patinated thin silver/brown patina with evidence of sanding marks. Cylinder also has a thin silver/brown patina and retains 50-60% Ormsby naval battle scene. Frame retains 25-30% thin case colors with balance turned silver. Trigger guard retains 50-60% orig silver plating with balance a medium mustard patina, which is also the condition of backstrap. Grip is sound with chipped right toe and retains about 85% strong orig varnish. Mechanics are fine, strong bright bore with scattered moderate pitting with a few deeper spots. A truly rare & exceptional Colt Army. 4-32329 JR374 (12,500-17,500)"
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