In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: 1861 Navy Pocket .36, Factory Converted to .38 Rimfire
Serial Number: 2048
Year of Manufacture: 1861/ Converted Ca. 1869-1874 (https://www.colt.com/serial-lookup/)
Caliber: .38 ”Short” Colt Rimfire Cartridge
Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Open top cylinder.
Markings: The butt of the grip, just in front of the trigger guard, the bottom of the frame, the number on the cylinder, and the bottom of the barrel lug are all marked with the serial number. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT PT FA MFG CO/ HARTFORD CT USA”. The Cylinder Stage Coach Scene is obscured by prior pitting and media blasting but almost completely visible. The left side of the trigger guard is marked “36 Cal.”
Barrel Length: 3.5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass bead. The rear sight is a “V” cut into the top of the hammer.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grip is smooth hardwood on a flat-butt grip frame. There are some light compressions from use and storage, and the grips are shy from smoothing and age. There is a chip missing from the Butt on the right side. There are no cracks. The grips are in about good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Originally blue now In the white with brass.
Finish Originality: Not refinished. Original to Factory Conversion
Bore Condition: The bore is gray and the rifling is well-defined. There is minimal scattered erosion in the bore. The bore rates at 8/10 for an antique.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 0% of its metal finish. There are signs of oxidation that have eroded throughout. There are some nicks and dings. There are some replacement screws. The blue has been removed through a bead blast. There is a bit of blue left to be observed on the trigger guard screw heads. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong, serviceable slots. The barrel-wedge screw and the screw for the butt of the frame are replaced. The markings range from blurred to clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about good condition.
Mechanics: The action works correctly. The cylinder lockup produces barely any side-to-side play. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Comes with a leather holster and small belt rig. The holster is in good condition. The rig is in fair shape.
Our Assessment: The expiration of Rollin White's patent on revolvers with bored-through cylinders in 1869 was a true watershed moment for the U.S. Firearms industry. Now all firearms manufacturers would be able to directly manufacture cartridge revolvers without having to risk lawsuits or pay royalties. Colt was no exception, especially considering that Samuel Colt himself had PASSED on the chance to purchase exclusive rights to the patent in the 1850s.
Colt was however still somewhat committed to percussion revolvers, so it wasn't until 1873 that their first purpose-made cartridge revolver, the Single Action Army, was introduced. That did not mean however that this was their only effort, as there was also a fairly large market producing parts and materials for converting percussion revolvers to take rimfire and centerfire cartridges. For designs such as the Remington "New Model" Revolver, this was relatively simple, as the cylinder could be swapped out easily with one that took cartridges. Some would use a back plate, while others would modify the hammer slightly. Colt revolvers however did not have a solid frame that allowed easy removal of the cylinder, so they required more involved conversions. There were private companies that made conversion kits to supply gunsmiths, and companies that did all work in-house as well. Colt also decided circa 1873-1874 to use leftover parts from percussion revolvers to make some early rimfire cartridge revolvers. They also may have converted revolvers left over in stock and allowed customers and retailers to send back revolvers for the conversion.
During the early conversions parts such as the grip, grip frame, and trigger guard were left alone, while the frame, trigger, and cylinder required modification. The recoil shield on the right side was machined out and a spacer was installed in front. This allowed the cylinder to be loaded from the rear, and extensions were added to the hammer to contact the cartridge rims. The rear of the cylinder was machined away, leaving the ratchet but completely removing the cap bolsters. In this case, the cylinder would also need to have the chambers enlarged for the .38 cal cartridges. We believe that the barrel was completely replaced on these conversions.
The cylinder is in good condition and still has the original COLTS PATENT marking above the serial number, also much of the "Stagecoach Holdup" scene is still visible. The patent markings on the left side of the frame are still present. The trigger guard however has an interesting marking: “36CAL.”
This example is made using leftover parts from the "Pocket Model of 1861 of Navy Caliber (.36)" revolver. Approximately 6,000 of these revolvers were made circa 1874, utilizing a mixture of original, modified, and purpose-built parts. The grip, grip frame, and trigger guard were left alone, while the frame, trigger, and cylinder required modification. The recoil shield on the right side was machined out and a spacer was installed in front. This allowed the cylinder to be loaded from the rear, and extensions were added to the hammer to contact the cartridge rims. The rear of the cylinder was machined away, leaving the ratchet but completely removing the cap bolsters.
The revolver not only looks great but it is in tight fully functional condition, with a strong hammer pull, solid indexing, and a firm cylinder lockup. The bore shows clear lands and grooves, with a gray finish, showing some wear from use as well as past powder fouling.
We assume this revolver saw a good amount of use after the cartridge conversion. The walnut grip is in good shape and shows long use. It has lost all of the original "piano varnish" finish and shows some wear.