The M1860 Army Revolver is considered by many to be the most beautiful revolver that Colt ever produced. It's graceful lines and near perfect balance make it as fun to behold as it is to shoot. It is the quintessential Civil War revolver as nearly 130,000 were purchased by the US Government during the war; making it the most widely used revolver of the conflict. It is safe to say that no Civil War weapons collection is complete without an M1860.
This particular revolver is a rare example of an 1860 Army that was produced for sale on the open market. Unlike the vast majority of 1860's the Colt produced, this pistol was not sold to the Federal Government for use in the war effort, but instead offered on the civilian market as evidenced by the "44 cal" marking on the trigger guard (military guns didn't have caliber markings), as well as a lack of military inspector's cartouches on the grips.
This steel components of this Colt are in excellent shape. Some of the original finish remains, with the majority having faded from years of storage with vibrant bluing still visible in the protected areas. Faded case colors are visible on the frame, but still vibrant in the protected areas; While original bluing can be seen on the "ears" of the back strap, and the underside of the barrel. The lock up is nice and tight with no wobble in the cylinder. The action is very smooth. The hammer has a positive half and full cock.
The barrel is in great condition. The Colt address stamp is intact and fully legible. There is no wobble between the frame and the barrel. The bore is in very good shape with good rifling and some pitting near the breech. The cylinder matches the barrel in condition and roughly 90% of the cylinder scene is legible. Each one of the chambers is crisp and clean with no major pitting or erosion.
The grips, trigger guard, back strap, wedge, and loading lever are all original and all matching. The loading lever has a small stress crack in it, from a previous owner's attempt to seat bullets with a mallet. The crack is cosmetic only and the loading lever is very sound. But we would recommend using a loading stand if the gun's new owner should attempt to shoot it.
