2nd Generation Colt BP Flasks

F

Fingers McGee

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Pictured are 7 of the nine 2nd Gen Colt flasks.

W5046 - Bag Flask in the US Grant Commemorative 1851 Navy
W5047 V1 - Medium flask with deep blue/black finish for F series 1851 and 1861 Navies
W5047 V2 - Medium flask with a blue/gray finish in the R.E.Lee commemorative 1851 Navy
W5047 V3 - Medium flask with a pewter finish for late C series 1851 Navies
W5083 - Medium flask with a heavy blue/black finish for F series 1860 Armies. The W5047 V1 and W5083 are identical except for the powder spout.
W5056 V3 - Walker/Dragoon flask - other variations are finished or stamped differently.
W5095 - Small Eagle flask with deep blue/black finish for Baby Dragoon, Pocket Navy, and Pocket Police flask
 

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Thanks for posting Fingers! I know some of the C series flasks were made by Dixon in England as I have one of those, but where were the others made? I have one identical to W5083 including the "Colt's Patent" mark but it is stamped made in Italy in small letters on the spout.
 
To tell the truth, other than the W5046 stamped 'Dixon and Sons, Sheffield' and the W5047 stamped 'Made in England' I do not know for sure. I suspect that all three of the W5047 variants and the W5083 flasks were made in England and the other were as well. The Walker/Dragoon flask is a lot heaver than anything Pedesoli makes today, as is the Eagle flask. In fact, the 1851/1860 flasks are heavier and better made than anything labeled 'made in Italy'.

The flask you have like the 5083, what is the finish on it? If the same copper/brown color like on modern flasks, the Colt's Patent embossing is/was normal for some made in Italy flasks. If it is the blue/black, blue/gray, or pewter finish, it may have just had he spout replaced. A lot of my replacement spouts are marked Made in Italy. some are even marked with a grains stamp
 
The flask that I have like your 5083 is blue/black and much better quality than modern flasks. It is very similar to my Dixon & Sons 2nd Gen flask 5047 V2 which has a blue/grey finish. Maybe my spout was replaced. Who knows, I bought it used in the 1980s.
 
It's definitely a 2nd Gen flask then. Is the spout at an angle and does it have a ring around the top? If so, it's original, straight and no ring, spout was replaced at some point
 
Then it's the correct spout. Can't explain the Made in Italy on it. Just another variation I suppose. The Bag flask is supposed to have 'Dixon & Sons Sheffield' and 'Made in England' on it. Mine doesn't have the Dixon stamp.
 
Fingers here are the Colt's marked flasks I own.
The one on the left is a 5047 V2, made by Dixon, the one in the middle marked made by Dixon & Sons, but I have no info on when it was made, and the one on the right is the 5083 stamped "Italy" in tiny hard to read letters on the spout.

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The left flask fits the characteristics of the W5047 V2. The right flask fits all the characteristics of the W5083 except for Made In Italy on the spout. The center flask I cannot explain. I've never seen one like it before. Apparently there were variations in the items when they were assembled. The three W5047 flasks I have all have different sized bore in the spout. Tomorrow I'll see what the charge size is in all of them.
 
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