Colt 1849 Pocket Revolver --Attic Condition--

This is a nice untouched Colt Model 1849 Pocket Percussion Revolver. Standard 5" shot cylinder in .31 caliber with 4" octagon barrel and large brass trigger guard. This is a late Model 1849 in the 329,000 range that was manufactured towards the end of 1871. Many of these ended up being converted to cartridges but this one is still in its original percussion configuration. Nice COLT'S PATENT marking on left side of frame. Barrel has the typical late-style 1-line New York address.100% all matching numbers which include barrel, frame, trigger guard, back strap, cylinder, and arbor pin. Grips are also original to this gun. Now some of you may have noticed that we didn't mention the wedge or the loading lever as having matching numbers. Why is that? Here's the answer: during the later stages of production for the Model 1849, Colt dropped the numbers on their wedges and loading levers and left them blank. Such is the case here which is just as it should be. The first thing I noticed about this gun was all the years of dust and dirt caked up in the screw holes of the back strap and this wonderful dark mustard patina with traces of original silver in protected areas. The metal had a very dry, even light brown patina speckling across the gray metal. When you handle as many antique guns as we do, you can usually tell when something hasn't seen human hands for many years. It looks old, it even smells old from being confined inside a small space. When I found this, it was displayed on a friend of mine's table at a show so I asked him, "What's the story with this gun? Where did it come from?" to which he replied that it had been found in an old chest between some blankets. I don't recall where but I believe it was during the clean-up of an estate.

This Colt just has a really nice balanced look about it...between the soft patina on the gray metal, the nice mustard brass guard and backstrap, and then there are the grips...wow...still light reddish orange in color retaining 97% original varnish. The screws are all good with the majority at or slightly below perfect/excellent. In spite of not having its action oiled or cleaned in over 100 years, the mechanics function flawlessly on this revolver. Barrel still locks up tightly to the frame.  Cylinder scene depicting a stagecoach robbery is 50%. Safety pins on the lugs between the chambers are pretty flat but still standing. The bore is even respectable and is Good (should clean to VG if desired) condition with no major pits, rings, or bulges. I will guarantee this gun is 100% correct, kosher, and original all down to the smallest screw. This Colt is as untouched and as pure as they come.

Item# 1359

SOLD