"COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY REVOLVER WITH 10" Barrel. SN 93921. Cal. 44. Probably the only one known, this revolver is arguably the most rare of all the Model 1860 Army revolvers. It has a 10" rnd bbl with standard German silver front sight blade and a period of use installed V-notch rear sight at the chamber end of the bbl. Cylinder is equally rare in that it is unfluted and non-rebated, like the Model 1861 Navy Colt, with the Ormsby naval battle scene. It has a 3-screw frame cut for shoulder stock with flat head hammer screw. It has deluxe, highly figured 1-pc walnut grip with a 7/8" x 7/8" silver shield on left side. Shield is engraved "To / Geo. A. Jackson / From Dick Irwin / 1870". Rammer lever is checkered about 1-5/8" near the tip. Bbl lug is without a serial number and does not appear to have ever had one. It is dimensionally correct and an accompanying x-ray discloses no apparent alteration. Cylinder does not have a serial number and does not appear to have ever had one. Neither does it appear to have ever had safety pins. Accompanied by the x-ray, as previously mentioned, and a copy of pages from the book Texas Collector: / Gaines de Graffenried, Conger. This book was printed in 1987 and on p. 39 begins an article regarding this specific revolver. Author relates that Mr. de Graffenried and another collector named Clyde O'Neal became aware of a small collection belonging to an elderly lawyer named Rice, in Hamilton, Texas. They drove over, looked at the collection, but were unable to purchase anything at that time. The old lawyer reportedly related that back in the 1890's his uncle was the sheriff of neighboring Bosque County, in Meridian, Texas. He related that one day a well dressed stranger drove a stylish rubber-tired buggy, being pulled by a handsome span of bays, into the town. After he dropped off his team at the local livery stable he stopped by a saloon and became "uproariously intoxicated". The sheriff, the judge's uncle, arrested him and relieved him of this long barreled Colt. Around noon the next day the stranger was released but failed to reclaim his revolver. The sheriff, in his later years, gave this revolver to his nephew, the judge. About twenty years later, Mr. de Graffenried learned the judge had passed away and contacted his widow who gifted this revolver to him and later allowed him to purchase the judge's library. Page 40 of the book contains an overall picture and a close-up of the grip of this revolver. Pages 161 & 163 of The Book of Colt Firearms, Sutherland & Wilson, mentions that there were shorter & longer than standard bbls made by Colt and that "at least one specimen is known having a 10" bbl and a roll-engraved, non-rebated cylinder". He states that "any bbl lengths other than 7-1/2" and 8" are so rare as to be categorized as special order or experimental". PROVENANCE: Gaines de Graffenried; Gary A. Walton; James D. Julia Auctions, Oct. 2004, Lot #1327 CONDITION: About fine. Bbl, cylinder, frame & back strap retain an even, dark, plum/brown patina with some small hammer marks by the wedge opening on the right side of the bbl. Trigger guard retains 40-50% orig silver plating with several small nicks & scratches on front strap. Frame, cylinder pin, trigger guard & back strap are all matching numbered. Wedge is numbered to another revolver and, as previously noted, cylinder & bbl are unnumbered. Grips have a couple of chips on right bottom edge with some light hammer marks on butt and show heavy wear with a fine hand worn patina. Mechanics need timing and are a little loose but functions well. Bore is bright & shiny with a few spots of scattered light pitting. An extremely rare & very desirable percussion Colt. 4-32334 JR351 (22,500-32,500)"
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