Original U.S. Civil War Colt M1849 Pocket Percussion 4" Barrel Revolver Made in 1861 with Replica Case & Accessories - Matching Serial 193795

Original Item: Only One Available. The Colt "Pocket Percussion" Model 1849 revolvers in .31cal are essentially scaled down versions of the larger Navy Model 1851 in .36cal, and were developed concurrently. This is a lovely example, made right at the start of the U.S. Civil War. This very nice example features Serial Number 193795 on the barrel, frame, cylinder, trigger guard, and grip frame, with shortened number 93795 on the barrel wedge and 3795 on the arbor pin. This makes this a very desirable "ALL MATCHING" example of the M1849 Pocket revolver, without any parts swapped out over the years!

To make this offering even better, it came to us with a lovely replica Colt Patent Firearms marked wood case, which measures approximately 11" x 6" x 2 1/4", and has different compartments inside, all green velvet lined. These are for various accessories one might use with the pistol, and in the case are a very nice recent production brass bullet mold with inlets for round and tipped bullets, as well as a lovely "American Eagle" powder flask. There are also some cast bullets, and a case of caps. The case does look to be 20th century most likely, and has a functional latches on the front.

The serial number indicates indicates the year of manufacture as 1861, right at the start of the U.S. Civil War, so it almost certainly saw service during the conflict, possibly on either side. Five shot percussion, .31 caliber with a 4" barrel, and is in nice tight condition with a very nice peppery patina on the steel portions. It does look like however that it had the barrel shortened down from 6 inches or so to the current 4 inch length, as we can see modifications to the loading rammer and to the front of the barrel. The grip frame and trigger guard actually still retain close to 25% of the original nickel plating, with the rest showing a nice polished patina. As with most we see, the original "Stagecoach Robbery" engraved cylinder scene is completely worn away, though we can still see most of the COLT'S PATENT / No. marking above and next to the serial number. Often we see these with the markings completely removed from the cylinder, so this is a real treat!

This lovely revolver features the Colt single line address marking, still fully legible across the top of the octagonal barrel:-

ADDRESS COL SAM'L COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA

This is the address marking used on longer barrels such as the 6 inch, so it definitely was originally longer, probably shortened to make it more "holster friendly, or because the muzzle was damaged. The revolver bears the correct COLTS PATENT on the left frame under the cylinder, though there is no "31CAL" marking on the trigger guard, which is not uncommon. The walnut grips are in very good condition, with a lovely color and showing the usual period wear. They look to have been re-varnished, so we cannot tell how much of the original "piano varnish" is still present.

The revolver functions very well, with solid indexing and a firm cylinder lockup. We did not notice any of the usual finicky behavior we often see on revolvers of this age. The barrel to frame connection is solid, looking to possibly have been adjusted in the past. The bore is in very good condition, showing clear lands and grooves with a partly bright finish. There is definitely wear from use and cleaning away past fouling and oxidation, so it does look to have seen a good amount of service during the war, and possibly afterwards. All five cap nipple cones are clear, showing oxidation and fouling on the exterior from use.

This is a lovely "All Matching" '49 Pocket dating from the beginning of the Civil War, a great acquisition for any collection, complete with a replica case and some great accessories. In lovely condition with a great look, ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1861
Caliber: .31cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 9 inches
Action: Single Action Percussion
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

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