Solved? more input needed on old no-name pistol

[dozer dan]

here are the pictures of my pistol. the only pictures i could find to match it is the griswold and gunnison. my pistol is .36 cal. brass frame with a round barrel. there is no name on it. the ser. # is in the 17,000s and stamped two times on the brass, one time on the cylinder, and one time under the barrel assembly. all ser. #s match. the ser #s are erratic as they are not aligned well. the rod is 2 piece construction, in the pictures you can see this. there also appeares to be a blood etched finger print on the underside of the barrel. one person i asked to examin it said he thought he saw a tiny stamping on the cylinder of a crescent moon with a star in it. i however do not see this.
i am grateful for your interest and any info you could provide. sorry about the pic's. im still catchin on. Dan

[Bigcypresshunter]

Similar to a Colt Navy?

[RON (PA)]

That is an awesome gun. I cannot help with name or model, but it is nice none the less. Maybe if you take it to the police and let them know that it is yours legally, they may be able to take off the bloody print and find out who had it before you. May add some very interesting history to it as well.

[dozer dan]

nope. not letting this one out of my sight. i have sent pic's all
over and everyone that sees them has a different opinion. 1person tells me its authentic, the next tells me it a repro. its not about the money, its about the history. even all the numbers are the old style like you used to see on the old time clock faces. every instinct is telling me it authentic.

[nyiangelo]

What's the story behind the pistol?

[dozer dan]

bought it at an estate sale several years ago for $50. but i have been
around this stuff all my life and i just cant let it go. i gotta know 1 way or the other.

[Baggins]

Colt Army maybe?
Baggins

[Monty]

It is a clone of the 1851 Navy Colt. However, the Confederacy built a lot of these from Colt specifications and the only difference is that they had a brass frame due to the lack of steel in the South. Does this one have a brass frame? Can't tell from the picture. If it doesn't have Colt stamped on it anywhere it is likely a copy and could be a Confederate model. I just can't tell from the picture. Monty

[Charlie P. (NY)]

What Monty said.

Colt never produced a brass framed revolver but the Confederacy produced many unlicensed copies. Brass is easier to cast & work. Leech & Rigdon, Palmetto Armory (palm tree & crescent moon cartouche), Griswold & Gunnison, etc.

LOTS of reproductions out there, too. Most have metric threads.

[dozer dan]

it is a brass frame. with a (round) steel barrel & cylinder.
all parts have matching #'s
there is no name, no grind marks.
inside the grips is 1257 in pencil.
i have checked every picture i can find, but no matches.
usually when someone tells me it a repro, they ask if i will sell it.

[Monty]

Ok, that being said, Confederate copy is my best guess. If there was any way of proving it, it might be worth more than the original navy model. Monty

[dozer dan]

and some more:

[l.cutler]

Either old or a repro made to look old. There are a lot of fake aged ones around. The serial number is too high to be a genuine Confederate revolver. None were made in those numbers. There is a different serial number under the mainspring that matches the number penciled under the grip but not the other numbers on the gun, that is curious. Probably best to have it looked at by someone knowledgable in revolvers.

[dozer dan]

i have also looked at about every Italian knockoff i can find, and it doesn't
resemble any of them.
I'm thinking the 2 piece rod is universal to
fit the full size pistol with the rod extention, or the shorter pocket pistol
version without the extention.

[relic lover]

I have never seen a repo that does not say "black powder only" all over it.

[Monty]

Looks like it has had an extensive factory rebuild at one time or another due to the stamped over serial numbers. Just an observation. Monty

[cillosis]

The serial number is too high to be a genuine Confederate revolver. None were made in those numbers.

It seems they did in fact make them well beyond that serial range... http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/colt-1...federate-2.htm

[dcinffxva]

The serial number is too high to be a genuine Confederate revolver. None were made in those numbers.

It seems they did in fact make them well beyond that serial range... http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/colt-1...federate-2.htm

You are both right here. The number is too high for any Confederate manufactured revolver, but not too high for a Northern manufacturer sold to (or captured by) the South.

It appears to be a copy (probably Italian) of a Model 1851 Colt Navy. The reason is the caliber stamping. There are plenty of guns out there that have been "defarbed", usually for re-enactors. These guns are also often aged. If you look closely at the hammer, it is different than the Griswold Confederate model.

Only a hands on assessment by a qualified expert can tell if an item is genuine, and even then it's still a "best guess". If you believe that it is truly an original Confederate revolver, then it is worth your while paying for an appraisal by a recognized professional (Greg Martin, David Condon, Norm Flayderman etc.).

Here is an example of a defarbed musket, just to give you an idea.
http://www.regtqm.com/muskets_defarbed_muskets.htm

[rmptr]

Nice cap n ball revolver Dan!

I'm sure it's a copy, after the Colt, but it's the real deal...
It just doesn't have the 'feel' of a modern day reproduction.

If you want I'll take copies of the pics over to some shooters and see what they say...

Best
rmptr

[Bigcypresshunter]

Remove a screw to see if its metric thread. Even if it is a copy, and it fires, its worth 50 bucks. Defarbing should be illegal.