Trying to ID an old Colt revolver

N

Nifft

Inactive
Greetings,

Great board! I'm trying to ID a Colt revolver that belongs to my father-in-law. I've found alot of great info on the web, but it's all starting to blend together, so I thought I'd ask the experts.

From what I can see, here are some specifics:
Serial #325864, all parts match with 5864
36 cal to 38 cal conversion
Barrel marked "Colt's PT. F. A Mfg co" and Hartford, CT USA
Cylinder is worn, but I think I can see a stagecoach wheel

Any help on history and/or value would be a great help!
 

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As best I can gather from Flayderman and Blue Book, you have what they call a 3 1/2 inch round cartridge barrel conversion. It is a factory conversion or new construction, not even completed as a percussion revolver. They made about 10,000 of them 1873-1880. Not every cowboy could afford a .45 Cavalry model, you know.

Your serial number and the struck over caliber marking indicates it was built out of leftover 1849 Pocket Model parts, as a majority were.

It looks in sound mechanical condition but with no metal finish remaining. Worth a good many hundreds of dollars. BB says $750 at 10%.
 
in my most humble opinion, and probably not much help, it looks like a colt conversion navy 38 pocket pistol, possibly the trigger guard was changed in the factory, left over from the cap and ball manufacturing.
http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/colt-pocket-navy-conversion-
c8781/#.Ur8ha9JDuSo

take a look at this link, it only has the 38 designation on the trigger guard, but looks close to me, right down to the engraving. hope that helps!

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/colt-1862-police-pocket-navy/
or this link, its the second one up from the bottom
 
"converted to 38 (almost certainly 38 rimfire)"

Exactly.

As I understand it, most of these pocket revolvers were converted to .38 Short Rimfire, although some MAY have been converted to .38 Long Rimfire. Until recently I believe that Navy Arms was still importing Brazilian-made .38 Short Rimfire loaded with blackpowder.
 
I think that one is .38 CF since it appears to have a center fire firing pin (seen in the first picture).

The trigger guard was originally made for an 1849 Pocket, and marked "31 CAL". Then it was used on a .36 caliber which was then converted to use metallic cartridges and marked "38 CAL". That gun was probably converted from an already existing 1849 or 1862; ones with frames made new for cartridges have low serial numbers. Colt cataloged and shipped those guns until around 1880, selling them at a heavy discount just to use up the old parts. (It has been said that Sam Colt - and his successors - never threw anything out!)

The "wheel" is part of the stagecoach holdup scene roll engraved on the original 1862 percussion cylinder.

Jim
 
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Thanks guys! I knew I came to the right place...

You've backed up alot of my on-line research. It's interesting how Colt mixed and matched these weapons. The reply suggesting the trigger guard was originally from a .31 cal, then stamped .36 cal, then .38 cal, seems to answer one of my questions.

When I reviewed 'american-firearms.com,' the high serial number (325864) seemed to only match the 1849, but it didn't make sense as these were originally .31 cal, and the gun was stamped .36/.38 cal.

Looking closer, you're right. The 36 looks like it was stamped on top of the 31. I thought the stamper just made a mistake.
 
My father-in-law tells a fun story about this weapon.

Supposedly, his grandfather saw a boy pick it up off the street following a bank robbery in Coffeyville -- here he gets in an argument with his wife whether it was Missouri or Kansas -- I'm assuming the infamous Dalton Gang robbery in Kansas, and offered the kid 50 cents for it.

Probably the same story that's been told a thousand times about other guns, but still a fun legend. Pity it can't be verified, as I'm sure it would increase the value.
 
My bad on use of conversion.

Not conversion of existing revolver, conversion of old percussion parts into a new cartridge revolver.

Repurposing would probably be a better term for it.
 
Colt "repurposed" a lot of parts. The best known case is the "long flute" SAA's. I remember arguments about the reason for those flutes until someone realized the cylinders were left over DA cylinders. It behooves collectors who encounter Colt oddities to remember that bit about Colt never throwing anything away.

Jim
 
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