Colt Revolver

[ronwoodcraft]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or not since it was eye balled and not found with a metal detector. This was dug out of the ground by my sweetheart in Montana some time in the 60's. Apparently someone sawed off the barrel, and that is a .45 in the end of the barrel. The .45 is a little large for the barrel so I'm thinking maybe a 44-40?..Also it was unloaded at the time it was lost.


Her words: Our family was eating a picnic lunch at the side of the road at a pullout. My brother and I were little. We saw a tiny bit of metal and started digging.

 

[RTR]

Put that .45 round - in the cylinder-...does it fit in ?

 

[outlaws15]

Probably won't open

 

[pepperj]

Very cool eyeball find and story thanks for sharing.

 

[ronwoodcraft]

Put that .45 round - in the cylinder-...does it fit in ?

The loading gate wont open or I would.

 

[RTR]

Probably won't open

Yeah your probably right and if it did open with the corrosion build up it wouldn't fit anyhow.

 

[RTR]

I'd say its a .45 Any Mfg. marking on it ?

 

[RTR]

Can you make out Colts stamp on the frame ?

 

[Fat]

That is an awesome find.

 

[ronwoodcraft]

Can you make out Colts stamp on the frame ?
View attachment 1902602

No, I can't find anything on it..There are a couple of numbers visible to the left of where the Colt is on yours.

 

[BAW]

If you look at the picture shown by RTR you will see a screw head on the side of the frame just below the cylinder pin. It is part of the spring-loaded latch that holds the pin in. This method was adopted in 1896. Yours is older, as the pin is retained by a screw entering from the front of the frame, and would require the use of a screwdriver to get the pin out to remove the cylinder. Examples with this style of retaining screw were not marked with the rampant horse logo. The faint numbers you see on the frame are the patent dates.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

My grandpa found a similar colt long ago (of a smaller caliber).
It had 3 tally marks filed into the butt frame.

It was wild country in the old days...I always wondered what the tally marks represented.

One thing to consider...weapons were not considered “evil” in the early days. They were a necessity.
You wouldn’t accidentally lose a fine weapon like that, forget it, or toss it out. It very well could have been used in a crime and discarded?

Unless it was in a cabin that burned down...gotta wonder how things like that end up laying in the dirt somewhere.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Can you make out Colts stamp on the frame ?
View attachment 1902602

Dang! I’d LOVE to have a sidearm like that. Closest I can come is a Buntline Scout .22LR
It’s on my bucket list to get a peacemaker.

 

[ronwoodcraft]

Many Thanks Everyone for your input...I just took a screenshot from a facebook post...Someone gave me this bit of info that he deciphered from one of the pictures.

 

[RTR]

Cool 1871 Wow

 

[RTR]

This might be why it has no front sight ,Dunno

 

[ecmo]

If you look at the picture shown by RTR you will see a screw head on the side of the frame just below the cylinder pin. It is part of the spring-loaded latch that holds the pin in. This method was adopted in 1896. Yours is older, as the pin is retained by a screw entering from the front of the frame, and would require the use of a screwdriver to get the pin out to remove the cylinder. Examples with this style of retaining screw were not marked with the rampant horse logo. The faint numbers you see on the frame are the patent dates.

Correct you are BAW. Check very closely on the flat area under the frame in front of the trigger guard to see if by mear chance the serial numbers remain, should be below the 165,000 range if still ledgeable, you could find year of manufacture then. Probably cut down to use as a close range belly gun. Some old timers were skilled at point and shoot though. Neat find.

 

[billb]

Wow that is a beautiful find congratulations

 

[ArfieBoy]

Very cool revolver! Thank you for posting and for all the other information from other posters!