The M1851 Navy revolver was one of Colt's most popular percussion revolvers; surpassed only by the M1849 Pocket. The M1851 Navy model was revolutionary for its time. It was the first full size revolver that could be carried comfortably on one's hip. Previous Colt Models had weighed as much as 4 1/2 pounds, relegating them to pommel holsters mounted on horse saddles. The M1851 weighed half as much as its predecessors but was still very lethal. The benefits of being able to carry a simple, reliable, and powerful repeating pistol on one's person rather than on his horse, were immediately obvious to Colts customers, and sales of the Navy exploded. Colt produced more than 250,000 M1851 Navies from 1851 to 1873. The pistol was so well liked, that it remained in production well after the self contained cartridge had rendered the percussion cap obsolete. The 1851 Navy cemented Colt's Patent Firearms Company's legacy. It was the official sidearm of Confederacy and was used extensively by both the North and the South during the Civil War and was carried by some of the "Old West's" most famous characters; including Wild Bill Hickock.
This particular M1851 Navy is in excellent shootable condition and was among the first M1851's produced by Colt - serial number data puts the gun's year of manufacture at 1854; only three years after Colt introduced the iconic pistol in 1851.
This gun features all the correct "earmarks" of an early 1851. It has the small narrowed trigger guard, wide walnut grips, and the early "COLT' PATENT" stamp which is smaller than what is typically seen on later guns (it was also mis-stamped by the factory, and is only partially legible due to the die not being properly aligned when struck). Incredibly, despite its age, this early Colt remains in phenomenal condition. It features all matching numbers, with the exception of the cylinder which is original, however it is numbered to a different gun. The action is wonderfully smooth with a positive half and full cock. The cylinder is timed perfectly. The cylinder spins freely on half cock and locks up with minimal wobble on full cock; just like it should. The action of this original revolver is smoother than most brand new guns!
The cylinder matches very good and features a large percentage of its original naval battle scene remaining. The chambers are clean with only minor frost pitting, and the bore is very good - shiny with some minor pitting near the breech. There is absolutely no wobble between the barrel and the frame. This pistol would make for an excellent shooter!
The barrel features a beautiful early New York barrel address (it does not include the word "Col." before Colt's name, and ommits the "US America" found on later production guns) and retains a much of its original blued finish, which has began to turn "plum" colored with age. the grips are in good shape with no damage other than a small chip missing from the front edge of the right grip panel. The brass back strap and trigger guard retain traces of their original silver plating.
This pistol is sure to be the crown jewel of anyone's collection!
