Metropolitan Navy Model 1864

History of the Metropolitan Navy Type 1864

In 1864 Colt's East Armory caught fire, destroying all but two of the buildings. The event could not have come at a worse time, given concerns about U.S. involvement in the civil war and the ready availability of U.S. government contracts.

As warfare demands more and more weapons, the now damaged Colt line needs support to keep up with demand. For this reason, Metropolitan Arms entered New York to offer production of the Colt revolver replica, resulting in an oft-forgotten revolver known simply as the "Metropolitan Navy Strike."

The Navy Percussion is said to be an exact replica of Colt Navy's original pistol. Copies even reproduce the engraving of the naval scene depicted on the column. Of course, the Metropolitan firearms were branded the Metropolitan Arms Company to distinguish them from the Colt originals. The design carries everything Colt brings to the table, including a beautiful walnut grip, ergonomically shaped for a firm hold, under-barrel loading lever and Think trigger assembly and integrated trigger ring. Like the Colt model, the hammer had to be manually operated by the user to fire each subsequent round in the chamber, so it was originally "single-action".

Ammunition is .36 rounds into each chamber with gunpowder during the pre-loading action. The contents of each chamber are then rammed home by operating the loading lever under the barrel - which must be pulled down to move the push rod into the muzzle of each chamber.

The cylinder holds six rounds, while the octagonal barrel is 7.5 inches long.

All in all, Metropolitan Navy Striker pistols are as good mechanically as they represent the original Colt design.

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