I need info on Confederate 1851 Colt Navy

S

Sagetown

New member
Non 1851 Colt Navy

Thank you all for the input. I finally took the pistol apart and went over the whole thing under magnification. I found another of the E under star markings, two other foriegn stamps that I cant identify, and on the front of the cylinder I found the infamous Oval/crown with the E L G letters inside that Ive seen on so many Belgian made guns.
So, now I can show the owner of the gun proof that it is simply a belgian copy. I do think it has quite a bit of age to it, most likely early 1900's due to the wear that covers the entire gun. I dont think it is worth much being a copy but if any of you have an idea please let me know.
Thanks again for all your help.
 
J

James K

Member In Memoriam
Belgian AND British proofs? That gun has some history! Made in Belgium, then sent to England and included among the many guns shipped to the Confederacy? Then sold to a patriotic but gullible officer as a "genuine Colt"? Could be, but I still suspect some modern fooling around.

The only thing that could give the gun any significant value would be absolute, documented proof of the story about the Confederate officer, and that might be difficult (spelled near impossible) to get. What kind of proof? Well, an unquestionable statement in the officer's diary that "Today I used my good old Colt, serial number 102777, to shoot a damyankee captain" would probably do the trick, but those kinds of things just don't happen.

Jim
 
J

Joe from N.Y.

New member
I know this is an old thread, but i am curious about a stamp on the right grip of an 1851 that my friend got recently that his father had in the basement for over 30 years. I described it in this post:http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4582879#post4582879 On the grip, it looks like a stamped crown with an E8 under it. It almost looks like those proof stamps they use in England. Has anyone ever seen these before?

CIMG4179Medium.jpg
 
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J

Joe from N.Y.

New member
And Jim Keenan said in his post that "Oh, and Colt put only the last four of the serial on the cylinder, a point I forgot to mention last night." but mine has five digits stamped on the cylinder. Could mine be a fake?

CIMG4170Medium.jpg
 
J

James K

Member In Memoriam
Hi, Joe,

"Could mine be a fake?"

Yes, it is (see my reply on another forum), but not just because of the serial number. Colt did put the whole number on the cylinder until the serials went over 5 digits, after which normally only the last four were used.

Jim
 
4

4V50 Gary

Staff
Can't find the book on London Armory. I'll look again when the light is better.

I checked Hill & Anthony's Confederate Longarms and Pistols, Albaugh, Benet and Simmons' Confederate Handguns and Gary's Confederate Revolvers and didn't see squat.
 
4

4V50 Gary

Staff
found it

My book, Colt Single Action Army Revolvers and the London Agency by C. Kenneth Moore only has a few pages on the cap 'n ball Colt revolver. No mention of Jackson in the index.

I'm going to say fake.
 
H

Hawg

New member
I'm going to say it's a fake too. From what I can see of the knurling on the hammer spur it's wrong for a Colt.
 
B

Buzzcook

New member
A modern reproduction that someone messed with imho. They didn't even go to the effort to "antique/distress" it.

BTW the grip wear on the first gun looks genuine. So either old grips or a very good counterfeiter.
 
J

Joe from N.Y.

New member
So whats with that "R.[ Jackson" stamped under the barrel? would a counterfeiter put something extra on a gun that would never be there on a real one?
 
H

Hawg

New member
So whats with that "R.[ Jackson" stamped under the barrel? would a counterfeiter put something extra on a gun that would never be there on a real one?
Click to expand...

They sure will. Anything that will give a gun a personal touch.
 
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