Gun part, 1851 Colt Navy, or 1848 type 3 Colt Dragoon?

[Baggins]

This was found on a ranch here in North Texas over New Years weekend...It has been bent, and has 44 CAL stamped on it....It was about 75-80 feet from where I found the barrel to an 1851 Colt Navy barrel last year....any thoughts?
Thanks,
Baggins

 

[EDDE]

same gun

 

[Baggins]

Hey Edde, are you sure? I was told the Navy was a 36 Cal.
Baggins

 

[Tubecity]

The Colt 1851 Navy was produced from 1851 until 1873 and in that time over 250,000 Navies were made, 215,340 pistols were produced in Hartford, Connecticut and 42,000 were produced in London, England. In its day the 1851 Navy was the most popular Colt revolver ever made, sold and fired. It was chambered for the .36 or .44 ball shot.

 

[EDDE]

Hey Edde, are you sure? I was told the Navy was a 36 Cal.
Baggins

you know i just saw that other post
get or find a friend who has a caliper

call around
stop at a machine shop something anything
find out the inside diameter of the barrel(even the outside will help) take into consideration the rust
then report back

 

[Baggins]

Will do, I am going to put it through electrolysis first...any tips on rebending the handle back into shape?
Baggins

 

[EDDE]

UGH
heat it in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes then some pounding with blocks of wood and or rubber mallet?
id leave it

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Another idea is to buy or borrow a cleaning jag for .44 caliber and see if it fits down the barrel (after you wire brush it). They come in different sizes to hold a cleaning patch. It screws onto a ramrod or cleaning rod.

 

[l.cutler]

As in the other post, Colt Navy was never made in .44. In fact caliber is what made the Army or Navy designation, not only in Colt but other revovers as well. .36 was Navy caliber, .44 was Army caliber.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

As in the other post, Colt Navy was never made in .44. In fact caliber is what made the Army or Navy designation, not only in Colt but other revovers as well. .36 was Navy caliber, .44 was Army caliber.

Wasnt the "Colt Navy" used by the Army?
So the .44 caliber Colt would be called what? "Colt Army"? and what are the differences? Thanks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Baggins, it may turn out that neither gun part is Colt, if its from the same gun. The collective minds of "What is it" are the best place for ID. I think to measure your barrel diameter for starters like Edde said so we can move forward.

 

[l.cutler]

It is kind of confusing, the Colt navy was originally called this because of the naval scene engraved on the cylinder of the model 1851. The model 1860 in .44 was called the model 1860 army. .36 became known as Navy caliber and .44 army caliber even in other makes besides Colt. The army used both calibers and I don't believe the Navy really used revolvers much at all during the Civil War, may be wrong on that though. So the Army, Navy designation had more to do with caliber than anything else.

 

[Monty]

As I recall there were some tens of thousands of Navy Colts available for the Army and Navy in the early years of the war. A figure of 63,000 sticks in my head for some reason? The Confederates manufactured several thousand but they had brass frames because they lacked steel. A .36 caliber did in Wild Bill Hickock and he was famous for sporting two 36 Caliber Navy Colts although later he changed to a cartridge convertible model that came out before the famous .45 Army Colt. Monty

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I use my Colt .44 replica for primitive hunting of wild hogs up close and it doesnt have near the distance, knock down power or accuracy of a muzzleloading rifle but its nice to have 6 shots packed, capped and ready to fire and it must have been nice to have for close combat.

 

[jimyates1959]

The colt model 1851 was 36 caliber. The colt model 1860 was 44 caliber as well as the dragoon.

 

[duggap]

We located a large Union cavalry camp before the battle of Chickamauga. We dug as many .36 cal as we did .44 cal.