🥇 BANNER Civil War Revolver!!!

[hbru123]

I was metal detecting at a early 1800’s-1920’s homestead which throughout the years has had Civil War soldiers sent to capture Confederate sympathizers camp outside, the Mormon battalion camped there, and a lot more occurred. You might remember my post about how I found a Civil War revolver cylinder if not it has a lot of history of the site so here is the old post: I found this awesome Cylinder to a revolver near a Civil War skirmish site and a Civil War trail in San Diego California. Here is a little back story: In San Diego there were many Confederate sympathizers and in 1861 16 Confederate soldiers ran into some Union soldiers on there way to San Diego (Remember this was before San Diego was widely populated so if you saw a homestead near a river, which is where I found this, you would most likely stop to have a drink of water and rest) a small skirmish pursued but the Union ended up capturing the Confederates. I found this not far from the battle site. After looking over hundreds of different revolvers the only one that was a match was a Confederate .36 caliber revolver. ( you have to remember that Civil War relics are insanely hard to find in California so this is a amazing find for me) it was found over 14 inches deep.

Today: I went back there. I was finding some old relics but I never thought something like this would ever happen. I got the signal and I looked down and saw something sticking out of the ground, I pulled it out, and after a second of looking at it I knew that it was the back to a revolver. I went to look to see if the cylinder and the barrel were there so I swung my detector over the hole and there was still something so I dug down a few inches and out popped the cylinder and the barrel. After some research I found out that it is a 1860 army issue colt revolver!! I never thought I would find a gun and much less a Civil War revolver in California!!

**UPDATE**

I was looking over the gun and I found that the owner of the gun carved his initials (T B) into the brass piece!!

I just found out that it was shipped to Capt. R. H. K. Whitely Governor's Island, NY in 1862!

 

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[Southern loyalist]

Great find!! Two things. You might want to consider electrolysis to clean it up and stabilize it ASAP. The Colt address/writing on top of the barrel may be visible under the rust. The serial number should be visible stamped in the brass in front of the trigger guard near the screw and near the screw that joins the trigger guard and backstrap. can you post close ups of these areas? If the numbers match, it's likely an untampered-with specimen. You can also spend some $ and get Colt to send you a letter that will tell you where the revolver was shipped and how it was finished as it left the factory (if they have the records after the fire years ago). It's worth a call to the Colt historian's office to see if your SN falls within the numbers whose records are still available. Again, the letter will cost some real $, but it's worth the investment for display or selling purposes to document the find and get a look at the beginning of your Colt's journey west.

 

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[hbru123]

That is a really next find. Congratulations

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Wow! COLT Firearm Serial Number Lookup indicates 3 possibilities for that time frame...

1860 ARMY (.44 CALIBER) made in 1863
1851 NAVY (.36 CALIBER) made in 1858
1849 POCKET (.36 CALIBER) made in 1854​

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

amazing find. Something I can only dream of

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Super cool.

Well done.

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Wow! That's a awesome find.

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Great find !

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Congrats on a spectacular save!

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

All right then, to me, that does have that "WOW" factor.

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Fantastic old Relic, congratulations!

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

WOW!!!!! That is so awesome. Congratulations on that find. Well done..

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

That is an awesome find. Would look great in any collection.

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

nice find that what dreams are made of and banner

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

Wow, that’s neat. Nice find!

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Now that is a sweet find. Congratulations on finding an amazing relic and kudos to your research.

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

Great find!

Thanks!

 

[hbru123]

congrats on another great find from the french silver coin site. You owe me ! Find a site brimming with gold coins and invite me along now, haha

Great history research on the age of the item, the ID, the demographics of people movement, etc... Yes that corridor was an entry point into CA at the time. For persons starting from the AZ, NM, TX direction . Or starting from Mexico. Modern freeways and roads go other ways. But at one time, yes, that area was a travel corridor leading into CA . Like for the gold rush , for military entering, etc... And yes it's totally conceivable there was trading going on, stopping/camping at various likely spots.

I know the gun was found on totally legit public land. But as you know, there's a nearby museum (your gun wasn't found on *their* land, .... I know). But if you want to get that gun on display in there, to donate, let me know. I docent at another museum that .... has a kinship with that museum. I can fish around and pose it as a "hypothetical" and see what they say. Ie.: "what if a person found an 1860 gun on the hiking trail/creek off yonder that direction. Could it get on display?" And we'd see what they say. But if you're prefer it on your own mantle place , that's understandable.

Have you been in that little museum before ?

Thanks so much! If I find a really good site I will definitely invite you! I have never been to that museum before, I might want to donate it to that museum.

 

[hbru123]

Nice! Were you using the new Equinox 600 on that hunt?

I used it for most of the time and it worked great! But I found it with my other detector.

 

[hbru123]

Banner vote!

Thanks so much!!

 

[hbru123]

Congrats on the Colt recovery.

Thanks!