This is a VERY GOOD+ to LOW FINE condition example of the scarce Colt New Model Navy Percussion Revolver, better known to collectors as the Model 1861 Navy Revolver. The Model 1861 Navy was the pinnacle of Colt’s percussion revolver production and blended some of the best features of both the popular Old Model Navy (aka Model 1851) and New Model Army (aka Model 1860) revolvers into one pistol. The gun was .36 caliber, as implied by the name “Navy”, with a six chambered cylinder and had a 7 ½” round barrel. The loading lever was of the Model 1860 Army “creeping style” and for all practical purposes the front half of the revolver was a scaled down version of Model 1860 Army in .36 caliber. The rear portion of the revolver was pure “Navy” with the classic Model 1851 grip frame and grip angle, which would live on for generations as the pattern for the grip design of the classic Colt Model 1873 Single Action Army. The Model 1861 Navy was more streamlined than the earlier Model 1851 variant and the new loading lever was a significant improvement over the older toggle action design. While the revolvers were not purchased in huge numbers by the US government during the American Civil War, they did serve in reasonably large numbers, proportional to their production. Only 38,843 of the pistols were produced during the production run from 1861 to 1873, with less than 28,000 being manufactured before the end of 1865. Most sources place US government purchases at about 2,000 guns, but based upon recorded serial number data, more were purchased on the open market, as well as by the various states and by individual soldiers. According to the Springfield Research Service serial number record books, a number of Model 1861 Navy revolvers were reported in the hands of troopers from Companies F & L, 13^thIllinois Cavalry during 1864. These guns are scattered in the serial number ranges of 2496 – 4324, 7636 – 12482 and 16001 – 16236. Model 1861 Navy revolvers also show up in the records of the 2^nd Illinois Cavalry (Companies C &D, scattered from 4255 – 7709), the 9^th Illinois Cavalry (Company D) and the 10^th Illinois Cavalry (Company B). Colt Model 1861 Navy revolvers are also listed among the small arms issued to Company L of the 2^nd KY Cavalry (US), and Company E of the 11^th Ohio Cavalry. The members of Company M, 1st Arkansas Cavalry privately purchased a handful of the pistols as well. This wide range of serial numbers and issue of the pistols clearly indicates that many more of the revolvers were purchased by the states and saw use during the war than the 2,000 Ordnance Department purchased and inspected revolvers. The fact that a minimum of three Illinois Volunteer cavalry regiments were at least partially armed with the revolvers suggests that Illinois may have made a significant purchase of the revolvers directly from Colt or other sources. At least one delivery of 50 “New Model” Navy revolvers to the state of Illinois is contained within surviving Colt documents, as well as a delivery of 461 to the state of Connecticut and 120 to the state of Rhode Island. Only those revolvers purchased directly from Colt by the Ordnance Department via an official contract and delivered to the Ordnance Department inspectors were marked in any way. This makes martially marked Model 1861 “New Model” Navy revolvers extremely scarce today. 

This Colt New Model 1861 Navy Revolver is in VERY GOOD+ to LOW FINE condition. It is serial number 26732, placing its production in the first half of 1865, with serial numbers indicating that some 3,000 of the guns were made in 1865, in the range of 25,000 to 28,000. All of the serial numbers on the gun match, including the wedge and arbor, with the last three of four digits of the number on the wedge, arbor and cylinder. The grip is numbered in ink in the backstrap cut out 4732, which is probably a factory error as the last three digits match correctly and the grip fits very well. The pistol retains crisp and with legible markings throughout. The lower left front of the frame reads COLT’S / PATENT, and the side of the cylinder is marked COLT’S PATENT No 732. The front edge of the cylinder also retains some of the ENGAGED 16 MAY 1843 legend, in reference to the naval battle scene roll engraved on the cylinder. The top of the 7 ½” round barrel is marked with the standard one-line New York address: 

— ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW – YORK U. S. AMERICA —

The address is a little light, particularly in the center and it appears that some cleaning in that area may be partly to blame for this. From the beginning of “SAML” to the end of “YORK” is fairly soft. The gun does not bear any government inspector marks and is what would be considered a “civilian” Colt. As the gun was not made until 1865 it was not likely acquired for Civil War service by one of the states or local governments that was purchasing Colt revolvers. The gun remains nice and crisp throughout with sharp lines and edges and strong markings, with the exception of the barrel address. The revolver retains some original finish, with about 30% of the original blue on the barrel and some nice traces of case coloring on the frame, hammer and loading lever. The majority of the barrel blue is found on the bottom of the barrel where it was protected by the loading lever. This lower quadrant of the barrel retains nearly all of the original bright blue. The balance of the barrel retains some streaky traces of blue, with most of the blue near the muzzle. The balance of the barrel is a medium pewter gray patina with some scattered surface oxidation, freckled discoloration and some scattered pinpricking. As is typical of Colt revolvers, some impact marks are present on sides of the barrel in web area, around the wedge location. The frame retains some nice strong traces of faded and mottled blue and purple case colors, mostly in protected areas, with about 30% coverages of faded colors. The hammer retains about 50% of its faded and muted case colors, as does the web of the loading lever. The balance of the gun has a nice, mottled grayish patina that shows scattered freckles of oxidation and darkening here and there and some freckled areas of minor surface roughness, with some pinpricking and light pitting around the muzzle and of course on the face and rear of the cylinder. The cylinder has more of a brownish gray patina and retains about 90%+ of the Ormsby roll engraved Republic of Texas vs. the Mexican Navy battle scene and is quite crisp and clear. The cylinder retains all of its original cones (nipples), but none of the safety pins are present on the rear of the cylinder, only the battered remnants of their locations. The bore of the pistol rates about VERY GOOD+ as well. It is partly bright, with sharp rifling, but is somewhat oxidized with some patches of discoloration and scattered light pitting along its entire length, with a few small aeras of more moderate pitting. The pistol is in FINE mechanical condition mechanically, and functions as it should. The revolver times, indexes and locks up correctly and the action retains a nice, crisp feel to it. The brass frame appears to have been lightly cleaned at some point in the past and has toned down to a very attractive golden color. There is essentially no silver-plated finish remaining on the grip frame. The one-piece smooth varnished walnut grip is in VERY GOOD condition. The grip is solid free of any breaks, cracks, or repairs. The lower flared edges of the grips show some moderate wear and scuffing, along with finish loss. However, the grip still retains about 75%+ of the varnish. The grip shows the usual array of scattered bumps, dings and mars that are normally associated with a mid-19^thcentury percussion revolver.

Overall, this is a relatively crisp, well-marked and mechanically fine example of one of the less commonly encountered Colt revolvers from the American Civil War period. With less than 39,000 produced, and less than 28,000 of them produced before the end of 1865, these guns can be hard to find compared to the approximately 200,000 Colt Model 1860 Army revolvers and approximately 215,000 Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers produced. The 1861 Navy production only equaled about 19% of Colt 1860 Army production and 17% of Colt 1851 Navy production. As such, they are about five times rarer than the more commonly encountered Colts of the era. By that logic, the guns should be five times as valuable as their more numerous brethren! This is a very nice example that presents well and has a really nice, honest, and attractive appearance.  The gun will be a wonderful addition to your collection of Civil War era secondary martial revolvers and is a gun you will really enjoy displaying with your collection.