Colt 1849 Pocket Revolver Made in 1856 with 5 Inch Barrel

Here is another good pre-Civil War production Model 1849 Pocket Percussion revolver in .31 caliber.   These were very popular with soldiers who carried them as personal sidearms during the Civil War.   This one has a 5" octagonal barrel, 5-shot cylinder, with New York barrel address, and early style small brass trigger guard.   Serial number is in the 125,000 range.   Made in 1856.  All numbers matching except the wedge which is an original and about 4,000 numbers off.   Overall condition is NRA Antique Good++.   Brass trigger guard and backstrap have 95% of their original silver plating intact...typical of early 1850's era Colt quality back when their silver plating reigned supreme.  The metal has mostly turned to a silvery gray patina with 25% engraved cylinder scene visible, depicting the robbery of a stage coach.  The scene is weak overall but strong around the coach horses.  Barrel has traces of original blue in the corners and protected areas.   The grips are in Fine+ with a few nicks...no chips, cracks, repairs, or tap marks on the bases and still have an incredible 95% original varnish remaining.  Hard to believe for a 154-year-old gun that's worn to gray.  Like their silver plating, Colt used a couple different types of high quality violin varnish...one of which was made of ground amber.   The lustre of the varnish is almost unbelievable at first glance...you'd think it had been top-coated at some point...but upon close inspection, I feel confident in saying this is in fact the original finish.   Metal shows very good markings including the "Colt's Patent" on the left side of the frame as well as a good "New York" barrel address with a few dings just above the address on the edges of the upper barrel flat.   Screws are all in good serviceable condition and appear original to the gun.   The action has nice mechanics with working full and half cock notches and proper cylinder/barrel alignment.  Even sounds great with all four clicks still audible.   Safety pins on back of cylinder lugs between chambers are still visible to varying degrees...1 good, 2 fair, and 2 poor.   The barrel-to-cylinder fit is also tight with no wiggle or play and both guide pins intact.   All in all, a nice little untouched example of the Model 1849 Pocket revolver.

Item# 1242

SOLD