Collection 1860 fluted cylinder Colt

[Papabyrd]

I have in my collection a 1860 fluted cylinder Colt Serial # 1164. The letter says it was shipped to the Colt Patent Fire Arms CO in New York.
What was this facility ? Was it a retail store for Colt or a distribution center or a warehouse ? Was there any records kept showing where guns went from this facility. The Colt came with its original military holster so I'm pretty sure it saw military service but i would love to know whose side it was on. Thanks for any info you can add.

 

[Sivart]

The Colt Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company's New York facility was a sales and distribution office, not a retail store or warehouse. It handled shipments to military contracts, retailers, and wholesalers, particularly on the East Coast, including during the Civil War.

Your 1860 Colt Army Model revolver (Serial #1164) likely saw military service, as it was shipped to the New York office and came with its original military holster. It could have been issued to either Union or Confederate forces, as both sides used Colt revolvers extensively during the war.

Colt's records, which you have access to via the factory letter, might give more details about where it was shipped, though tracking its military use could require additional research. You could explore Civil War military archives or consult with firearms historians to see if your revolver's specific history can be traced to a particular unit or side.

 

[Papabyrd]

Thanks Sivart that clears the water a lot.

 

[JOHN42768]

Sivart's post helps clear up where yours was shipped. I would lean heavily that it started it's war time in the North. My Serial number 3624 was shipped right at the unset of thee war to Cinncinati,Ohio and is not listed in SRS so it would be a coin toss as to North or South

 

[Sivart]

My suggestion would be to try and look for military inspection marks, cartouches, and any other markings on the gun or holster that might indicate Union or Confederate use. Additionally, any history or documentation and the condition of the firearm could also provide clues. I hope you end up figuring this out!

Edit: One thing that I might add - Since the gun was shipped to an office in New York, it most likely would have been in possession of the Union. Now, just because it was shipped to New York doesn't mean that it's necessarily Union, but that would be my best guess.

 

[Papabyrd]

The finish on this revolver is pretty ruff so markings are all but gone.. But i did find the letter H behind the hammer on the backstrap.
Is this a military mark or it it a Colt inspection mark.. Also this gun has a silver plated trigger guard. Just got my book on the 1860 and their are several orders that went south in my serial number range but that does not give a solid answer.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

I think all markings there are military inspectors marks

 

[Bonedaddy]

In Pate's Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver book he mentions on page 159 that the H inspector mark probably referred to Merrick Howard.

 

[Jeff in Ohio]

If it went to the New York office it was not a military contract gun. Does Pate's book tell if the H fellow was a military inspector? Military contract guns should have a letter stamped in the brass back of the trigger guard. Is one there?
I would be interested in seeing the serial on the butt

 

[Papabyrd]

The front of the trigger guard has what appears to be a letter S. Nothing on the back of the guard. Here is picture of the grip frame serial number. It looks like the screw in the butt has been replaced.

 

[Bonedaddy]

In Pate's book, Merrick Howard is listed as an inspector without any "military" designation in front of the inspector, so I don't know.

 

[JOHN42768]

I'm inclined to say the H was a Colt factory inspector. Per "U.S. Military Arms Inspector Marks" by Pate & Daum, Merrick Howard was a government inspector at Colt in 1863 and his cartouche was a Script MH