Confederate Colt 1860

[Rick Bowles]

This 158 year old revolver is in amazing condition and is a historically significant arm. #1818 is one of 500 shipped to Williams, Peters & Co. in Richmond, VA on April 15th.1861, two days after the surrender of Ft. Sumter. According to Charlie Pate, these 500 Colts are the only guns that can be authenticated, by serial number, as being issued to the Confederacy. This revolver is one of the 28 furnished plated. There are only 55 known examples remaining and #1818 is in the top five for condition.

 

[Story]

Neat. Source? Can this be linked to any owners?

 

[UCVRelics]

Welcome From THE Heart Of Dixie. VERY NICE Colt. I have always loved the fluted cylinders that came on the first 5000 of these Colts.

 

[captaindrew]

Welcome Rick, from South Florida and the Reenactors forum, great piece, thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[Larryh86GT]

Welcome from WNY.

 

[Rick Bowles]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm a Virginian and a Colt guy but my knowledge base doesn't begin until 13 years after this 1860.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Wonderful Colt

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Welcome to CWT and that is a nice Colt!

I've personally never cared for the looks of the fluted cylinder on the early 1860's but their history is amazing.

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Welcome from South Carolina.

A great example of a fluted Army with Southern provenance, but some also went to South Carolina as well, in much smaller lots than the ones to Richmond. I have 2 S.C. Colts in my collection with Colt letters.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

If I remember right, 300 of the fluted models made it to Georgia, somewhere around a thousand to New Orleans, and I think near 250 to a retailer in San Antonio TX. Plus there was the Texas contract for a thousand to go to Texas troops, (mainly for the soon to be formed Frontier Regiment, or at least I think they were meant for that), the "McCulloch Colt's" but I don't think the full 1,000 made it to Texas.

Dang it, now I need to brush up my memory on those early fluted M1860's.

 

[Patrick H]

I think it's great. My knowledge of revolvers is extremely limited, so it's no surprise that I've never seen a percussion revolver with a fluted cylinder. I do note the notches in the grip. Can the holster possibly be original? It looks much more fresh and pliable than I would expect.

 

[Rick Bowles]

I think it's great. My knowledge of revolvers is extremely limited, so it's no surprise that I've never seen a percussion revolver with a fluted cylinder. I do note the notches in the grip. Can the holster possibly be original? It looks much more fresh and pliable than I would expect.

The "Slim Jim" holster is original and period Confederate to the gun. Not that surprising considering the condition of the revolver. I doubt this 1860 saw much action. These were the newest hand guns available and not issued or given to just anyone... especially in the South. I can't imagine what the notches represent, perhaps one for each day of service!

 

[WJC]

Welcome! Beautiful piece! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Mark A]

Welcome from East Tennessee.

The State of Virginia confiscated all of the Colt revolvers that were sent to William's, Peter's & Co with the promise that they would pay for them at a later date. Here's another of the William's, Peter's & Co. Fluted Cylinder Colts, s/n 3432.

 

[Rick Bowles]

Another nice example of these rare Confederate Colts. I spoke with Paul Pszymaszek at Colt archives and was interested to find out that my archive letter and yours are in error regarding the "number of same type guns in shipment". Here is another letter from a different shipment the same day. We know the total number of revolvers shipped to WP&Co. was 500.

 

[Mark A]

Another nice example of these rare Confederate Colts. I spoke with Paul Pszymaszek at Colt archives and was interested to find out that my archive letter and yours are in error regarding the "number of same type guns in shipment". Here is another letter from a different shipment the same day. We know the total number of revolvers shipped to WP&Co. was 500.
View attachment 260178

Colt ledger's had the shipment number at 50, 350, 472 and 500. Currently collectors are pretty well set on the 500 number.

From the Richmond Examiner, 23 April 1861: "The State Authorities seized 500 Army revolvers belonging to William's, Peter's & Co. on Sunday (April 21st) at Adam's Express Office...the State will take these."

 

[Mark A]

Welcome from South Carolina.

A great example of a fluted Army with Southern provenance, but some also went to South Carolina as well, in much smaller lots than the ones to Richmond. I have 2 S.C. Colts in my collection with Colt letters.

Must be nice having two rare examples from the smallest shipment of Fluted Cylinder Colt revolvers.

Pre-war Colt Army revolvers were sent to:

Georgia, 300 on 12/27/1860
Charleston, SC, 50 on 1/15/1861
Natchez, Miss, 160 on 1/17/1861

After the start of the war Colt made the following shipments:

Richmond, VA, 500 on 4/15/1861
San Antonio, TX, 120 on 4/16/1861
New Orleans, LA, 1100 on 4/19/1861

I can only imagine that most if not all of these 2230 revolvers made their way into CS service.

 

[Rick Bowles]

Mark,
I found the letter for #1361 on the net, it's not mine. I agree there were only 500, 28 of which were "plated" (#1818 is one of these 28). Both Paul and Bev at the archives agree that the letter for #1818 should say "number of same type guns in shipment" 28. The consensus is that in an effort to fill the Virginia order Colt pulled the 28 plated revolvers from existing stock. Colt shipped them and followed with the 472 guns which total 500.

 

[Mark A]

Mark,
I found the letter for #1361 on the net, it's not mine. I agree there were only 500, 28 of which were "plated" (#1818 is one of these 28). Both Paul and Bev at the archives agree that the letter for #1818 should say "number of same type guns in shipment" 28. The consensus is that in an effort to fill the Virginia order Colt pulled the 28 plated revolvers from existing stock. Colt shipped them and followed with the 472 guns which total 500.

I agree, a letter accounting for the 28 plated revolvers is definitely a "missing link."

 

[Lanyard Puller]

Must be nice having two rare examples from the smallest shipment of Fluted Cylinder Colt revolvers.



It's one fluted Army and one Hartford Navy. {also kind of nice}

The 1851 model Navy Colt lettered to Gravely & Pringle, Charleston, for 50 pieces on Jan 15, 1861.
Purchased by Langdon Cheves to arm the Palmetto Hussars (63 men} to help protect the area plantations. Later mustered into the 1st. SC Mounted Militia, Capt. A.Smith Barnwell. Martin's Mounted Regiment.

Here's some info on the "60 Army.
It was sent to Capt. William Sage, Quartermaster of The Holcombe Legion, named in honor of its patron and sponsor Lucy Holcombe Pickens the wife of Governor Pickens. The Legions motto was "It is for the brave to die, but not to surrender" , and was commanded by Col. Peter Fayssoux Stevens, a Citadel graduate. The legion mustered in late fall of 1861.

Plated brass backstrap and trigger guard.