one piece varnished walnut. Casehardened frame, hammer, and lever; remainder blued. Brass gripstraps, plated in silver.
Serial numbering began at 1 and continued through 38843. The single standard barrel marking was: - ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA. -. COLTS/PATENT was stamped on the left side of the frame. 36 CAL on the left shoulder of the trigger guard strap. The cylinder roll scene (often very light on this model) depicted the battle between the Texas Navy and that of Mexico.
A streamlined version of the Model 1851 Navy, the 1861 is one of the most attractive of all Colt percussion handguns. However, limited in production quantities and in years of manufacture, the number of variations is few. The key types:
Fluted Cylinder Navy; Only about 100 of these were made, in serial range from 1 to approximately 100. Cylinders are fluted, and bear no roll engraved motif. However, the fluted cylinders were marked PAT. SEPT 10TH 1850 within one of the flutes.
5B-097 Fluted Cylinder Model
| 5B-097 | Values—Good $6,500 | Fine $40,000 |
Standard production model, with the features as described above:
| 5B-098 | Values—Good $950 | Fine $8,000 |
Shoulder Stock Navy; Found only in the serial ranges 11000 and 14000, about 100 were produced. Only the Third type stock was made for the Model 1861 (see Third Model Dragoon for description of the type). Frames of the four screw design, with the recoil shield cut for engaging the stock yoke. Serial number on stock (to match gun) appears on bottom tang of yoke with letter “S” usually marked below each serial. It is also possible to find a stock fitted with the canteen variant; extremely rare:
Stock:
| 5B-099 | Values—Good $4,250 | Fine $10,000 |
Pistol:
| 5B-100 | Values—Good $3,750 | Fine $16,000 |
U.S. Martial marked; Several hundred were sold to both the Army and Navy during the Civil War. Many of these bear no inspector markings; when inspector marks are present they mostly appear on the grips and in single letters on various metal parts. Occasionally U.S.N. found on the brass butt of naval contract pieces. Although U.S. markings beneath COLTS PATENT on frame are reported, such marks are very rare and worth premium. Beware of spurious U.S. frame marks. See 5B-056 Martial Colt 1851 for reference to detailed study of U.S.N. markings.
5B-101 Standard Model
| 5B-101 | Values—Good $2,750 | Fine $17,500 |
London-marked specimen fitted with iron gripstraps; -ADDRESS COL. COLT LONDON-on barrel. These were all manufactured in Colt’s Hartford plant for their London office. Rare:
| 5B-102 | Values—Good $2,000 | Fine $12,000 |
Revised Understanding, Assumptions And Conclusions About The Colt Model 1862 “Police” And Model 1862 “Pocket Navy” Revolvers
Extensive, comparative analytical studies on both these percussion revolvers and their conversions to cartridge models of same (see 5B-127 through 5B-132), most notably those published in the American Society of Arms Collectors (Bulletin No. 85 April, 2002); Man at Arms magazine (issue no. 3, 2003); and “The Rampant Colt” bulletin of the Colt Collector’s Association (Summer 2004) culminated in completion of a major study Variations of Colt’s New Model Police and Pocket Breechloaders by Breslin, Pirie and Price (see Biblio). Similar to the two groundbreaking works on the Colt Pocket Model of 1849, their survey distinguished numerous variations o these 36-caliber models that have not been previously catalogued, as well as clarifying and distinguishing others that are now recognized in a new light. These two models, always popular among collectors, have been contentious as far as terminology was concerned. The authors stated their case well. As the results of their study are so newly imparted and yet to be fully absorbed by the collecting world … or in the marketplace … it is found impracticable to reclassify the long-familiar, usual listings (as in this “guide”). The impact of those findings is yet to be determined. Awareness of the new data may possibly affect the popularity (hence values) of some of those variations, perhaps elevating their status … and consequently “demand” in the marketplace. Some of the conclusions the authors reached may yet be confirmed “beyond shadow of doubt” (as the authors have stated) and they remain assumptions, based mostly on statistical survey of a significant sampling of the guns. Among those important assumptions is their conclusion that these two models were made individually, each in their own serial number range and not, as previously believed, having shared the same serial range.
Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver
Model 1862 Police Revolver. Made from 1861 through c. 1873. Recent studies concluded that this model did not share its serial numbering with the so-called “1862 Pocket Navy” (below) and was numbered in its own range from 1 through approximately 48,000 range. (By December 1865, the year the Civil War ended, the serial number range had reached approximately the 32,000 range.)
36 caliber. 5-shot rebated and half fluted cylinder. 3-1/2" (rare), 4-1/2", 5-1/2", and 6-1/2" barrels; round, with the creeping style loading lever.
Grips of one piece walnut. Casehardened frame, hammer, and lever; remainder blued. The gripstraps of silver plated brass.
Serial numbers began at 1 and continued (with the Model 1862 Pocket Navy) through approximately 47000. The standard barrel marking was: ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA. On the left side of the frame: COLTS/PATENT. Stamped within one of the cylinder flutes: PAT SEPT. 10th 1850.
The Model 1862 Police is considered by many collectors as the ultimate in streamlined design by Colt’s factory in the percussion period. Due to slow sales and the demand for metallic cartridge arms, several thousand of the late production of the Model 1862 Police and the Pocket Navy were converted from percussion to cartridge use. The result has been to add to the desirability of these arms in their original cap and ball configuration.
Variations of the Model 1862 Police follow:
Early specimens with the barrel marking: ADDRESS SAML COLT/HARTFORD CT. Silver plated iron gripstraps:
| 5B-103 | Values—Good $800 | Fine $3,000 |
Same as above, with silver plated brass gripstraps: