*US, c.1869, Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver, .31 Calibre Percussion, 4-Inch Barrel, 5-Shot, Matching Numbers 321904, Stagecoach Cylinder Scene, Obsolete Calibre*
A Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver in .31 calibre percussion, manufactured by Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, Connecticut, circa 1869. This example retains matching serial number 321904 across the principal components, including the frame, barrel, brass trigger guard, butt and cylinder, confirming the revolver remains in its original factory configuration.
The revolver is fitted with a 10 cm (4-inch) octagonal barrel, the most common configuration encountered on later production examples. The top flat of the barrel retains the one-line address: “ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA” The left side of the frame is correctly stamped “COLTS PATENT”, while the brass trigger guard is marked “31 CAL”, confirming the revolver’s chambering in Colt’s .31 calibre percussion cartridge system. The five-shot cylinder retains the remains of the famous roll-engraved “Stagecoach Hold-Up” scene, still faintly visible despite wear. This iconic engraving depicts mounted bandits attacking a stagecoach and was a distinctive decorative feature of Colt’s pocket revolvers. The revolver retains its original brass trigger guard and backstrap, together with a one-piece varnished walnut grip. Serial number 321904 is stamped to the butt, frame, trigger guard, underside of the barrel and appears faintly on the cylinder, indicating matching factory assembly. Mechanically the revolver cocks and dry fires correctly, the cylinder rotates and the loading lever functions as intended.
Approx. Measurements – Barrel length: 10 cm. Overall length: 23 cm.
History Note:
The Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver was the most successful percussion handgun ever produced by Colt, with more than 325,000 examples manufactured in the United States between 1850 and 1873, together with approximately 11,000 additional revolvers produced at Colt’s London factory.
The model was developed as an improved successor to the Model 1848 “Baby Dragoon” Pocket Revolver, which had first appeared in 1847. These compact revolvers became extremely popular during the rapid westward expansion of the United States and were widely carried by travellers, settlers and prospectors during the California Gold Rush of 1849.
Chambered in .31 calibre and fitted with a compact five-shot cylinder, the Model 1849 was designed as a discreet personal defence weapon that could be easily carried in a coat or trouser pocket. Improvements over the earlier Baby Dragoon included the addition of a loading lever, a rounded trigger guard, and an improved action incorporating a hammer roller and redesigned cylinder stop slots, which greatly smoothed the operation of the revolver. The revolver also retained the distinctive roll-engraved “Stagecoach Hold-Up” cylinder scene, one of the most recognisable decorative features of Colt percussion revolvers.
*Condition*
An honest and well-used example showing age and handling wear consistent with nineteenth-century use. The metal surfaces retain a grey patina with scattered areas of light pitting and surface corrosion. The barrel address remains legible, and the cylinder engraving is still faintly visible. The brass trigger guard and backstrap retain a mellow aged patina. The walnut grip remains solid, showing general wear and a small chip to the left-hand side. Serial numbers remain visible across the principal components. The revolver cocks and dry fires, the cylinder rotates and the loading lever operates correctly. The cylinder has not been removed for inspection. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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