Colt Model 1861 Navy

History

The Colt Model 1861 Navy is not different in design from Colt's previous "Navy" product, the Model 1851 Navy, essentially an improved version of the best-selling gun. It features a curved one-piece walnut grip and an equally curved trigger system surrounded by a brass trigger guard. The hammer protrudes noticeably from the rear of the gun body, which is made of case-hardened metal. The cylinder can hold up to six rounds.

36 caliber ammunition and has no "bridge" of the cartridge in the frame (as found in the successful line of competing Remington Rugged revolvers). The front of the gun base contains a webbed profile adjacent to the barrel base, representing the basic shape of the Samuel Colt revolver.

Sights are visible on the front of the gun, above and behind the muzzle.

One major difference between the Model 1861 Navy and the previous Model 1851 Navy was the use of a round 7.5" barrel assembly instead of the latter's octagonal shape. A key difference between the Model 1861 itself in the Navy series was the use of both rifled and smoothbore cartridges (some lacked the typical engraved naval battle scene, hence the generic nickname "Navy" for the series). At least 100 smooth, unengraved versions appeared in early production batches of Colt. The Type 1861 Navy also took some design cues from Colt's other product, the muzzle loader.

44 Caliber Model 1860 Army Revolver, over 200,000 produced between 1860 and 1873. By the way, the Model 1851 Navy and the Model 1860 Army have the same dimensions.

Model 1861 Navy is designed for .36" cap and ball" cartridges (paper cartridges using black powder and shot - shaped ball or cone) and operates on a standardized impact principle, replacing the once popular flintlock pistols . As a "single action" model, the operator must manually "tap" the hammer before each shot. This Colt family gun is clearly marked on its left side with engraved text of the "Colt Patent" logo and caliber size (.36), the latter being a handy visual reference. The loading bar is "crawling" style. The gun is relatively small and light enough to fit into a holster, and a silver-plated sling is standard on the series. The Navy's light weight and principle of operation of the Model 1861 allowed the weapon to be fired from horseback, making it ideal for Union cavalry and the like.

A variant of the Model 1861 Navy is designed to be used with an optional shoulder rest for precision firing. These were identified by their milled recoil guard and fourth frame bolt, and 100 copies were produced. From 1861 to 1873, the Colt Patent Gun Company of Hartford, Connecticut, manufactured approximately 38,500 Model 1861 Navy revolvers (serial numbers from 1 to 38,843).

Some found their way to the Pall Mall agent in London wearing iron grip belts with buckets marked "Address Col. Colt London".

The Colt 1861 Navy saw action on the battlefields of the American Civil War and, like the Colt 1851 before it, saw action in the violent expansion of the American West. However, this Colt model fell short of the 250,000 produced by its predecessor. The Confederates actually compared the lighter Model 1861 Navy, while the Union preferred the Model 1860 Army.

The Model 1861 Navy was purchased for the U.S. Army and Navy. Fewer than 3% of the original Model 1861 Navy revolvers are believed to exist today, making them an extremely rare find for collectors.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes