Colt 1849 Pocket Revolver w/ Early Style Small Trigger Guard

Standard Pocket Colt in .31 caliber with 4" barrel, 5-shot cylinder, and the early type small trigger guard and New York barrel address.   Manufactured in 1858.   Serial number is in the 148,000 range with 100% ALL matching numbers right down to the wedge, arbor pin, and even the walnut grips are numbered on the back (see photos).   The 1849 was widely used during the Civil War as a great many were purchased by soldiers in both the Union and Confederate armies as personal weapons that could be easily packed away until needed.   This one has a good pre-war production date that could have easily gone South before 1861.

Overall, NRA Antique Good++ to Very Good Condition.   The iron components have turned to a silvery gray with the usual array of nicks and scratches.   Metal exhibits good solid markings including 2-line New York barrel address, "Colt's Patent" on left side of frame, etc.   Cylinder shows 50% of its original stage coach robbery scene.  The brass backstrap retains 95% original silver plating that's turned mostly to a deep blue tarnish from age.   The trigger guard has held onto around 80% of its original silver.   Early Colt Model 1849 revolvers often exhibit some degree of silver plating...even on guns that saw extreme usage.   Even though this gun shows plenty of use with no blue or case colored finish remaining, the silver has stayed almost completely intact for 150+ years...a testament to Colt's high quality during the 1850's.   Colt also used a couple different types of high quality varnish on their grips.   One was called "turpene varnish" which was made of finely ground amber stone.   Like their early silver plating, this finish was not only nice to look at over a pair of nice walnut grips, but was extremely durable.   This particular example is no exception to that rule as there is a good 40-50% original thinning varnish left on the grips.   As mentioned earlier, we pulled the grips from the frame (see photos) and found the original serial number penned by a Colt workman inside the inlet to the backstrap.   Nice working action...indexes well and bolt locks up to cylinder.   Barrel to frame to cylinder fit is tight with no play or wobble.  Not much left on the back of the cylinder in terms of Safety pins...what's there have been reduced to nubs.   Very Good bore with strong lands and grooves...still fairly bright with a few light pits.   No rings or bulges.   All in all, a very solid example of an 1850's-era Colt Pocket Percussion Revolver with the small trigger guard.

Item# 1243

SOLD