Civil war revolver?

[DiggerKid2003]

My buddys dad picked this up off the ground in Richmond. I can't tell you if it was found at a specific camp or anything. If anyone knows the year/model it would be a great help. Any input is appreciate

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Yep modern fonts. And great work on the correct ID.

 

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[firemanphob]

Yes NOLA_Ken, that was very informative.

 

[Simon1]

Thank you VERY much TheCannonballGuy for that acknowledgement I am very select in when I try to help i.d. items because of the criticism, ( sometimes harsh ), and so I refrain from regularly contributing.
And DiggerKid2003, even as a replica I think this would be a neat "wall hanger" even on my wall. It is definitely a "Conversation" piece. Especially with the insight that NOLA_Ken added.

 

[Billieg]

Thank you VERY much TheCannonballGuy for that acknowledgement I am very select in when I try to help i.d. items because of the criticism, ( sometimes harsh ), and so I refrain from regularly contributing.
And DiggerKid2003, even as a replica I think these would be a neat "wall hanger" even on my wall. It is definitely a "Conversation" piece. Especially with the insight that NOLA_Ken added.

I'm now sorry I made a quick ID on the gun. I own 3 civil war revolvers and should have taken more time to view it. The way it was rusted and the shape made me think it was a 1862 colt because I didn't think a replica could be that old and rusted. I'm glad someone figured it out.

 

[Simon1]

We are human and have all made mistakes. The shape was what lead me to to mention Remington, especially with that "strap" over the cylinder, I did not see one on the Colt. ( I have a couple Navy Colts ). I did miss the crack, ( stress ), marks totally. NOLA_Ken did have an eye for the details and so I learned something.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Im late to the party but the modern fonts of that serial number is so obvious it sticks out like a sore thumb. Check out the differences in the number 7. They just didn't make 7s that way in the 1860s. Nevertheless a very interesting find. Love that brass frame.

I have an Italian Colt replica somewhere. Its been a while since i fired it but I always used lubed wads to try and prevent chain firing. I dont know if its needed. A properly sized ball will shave lead when its forced into the chamber. I think you need a cap on all the other loaded nipples to prevent chain fire from the front. A loose cap may cause it or an undersized ball. Maybe I need to think about firing it again.

View attachment 1735092

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Im late to the party but the modern fonts of that serial number is so obvious it sticks out like a sore thumb. Check out the differences in the number 7. They just didn't make 7s that way in the 1860s. Nevertheless a very interesting find. Love that brass frame.

I have an Italian Colt replica somewhere. Its been a while since i fired it but I always used lubed wads to try and prevent chain firing. I dont know if its needed. A properly sized ball will shave lead when its forced into the chamber. I think you need a cap on all the other loaded nipples to prevent chain fire from the front. A loose cap may cause it or an undersized ball. Maybe I need to think about firing it again.

Undersized ball will do it, I'm sure that's what caused mine. I bought a bunch of supplies at an estate sale and someone apparently decided that one full box of lead ball was better than two partials and mixed two different sizes. I had to go through the rest of them with a caliper to sort them out. After that I would keep a small container of lard with me and swab a bit in each loaded cylinder to make sure it never happened again. A nice side effect was it seemed to make the gun easier to clean too.

 

[gunsil]

I used percussion Colts for years, original, modern Colt made, and Italian ones. I started with muzzle loader rifles and shotguns and had made a good supply of mutton tallow/beeswax minie or patch lube. I always packed my revolver cylinders tight with that over the balls or slugs and never had a problem. Gotta be careful with that stuff!! Worst accident I had was not watching a girlfriend closely enough (she had shot mine many times before) and she decided to give the Colt better support and moved her left hand out under the loading lever. When she fired the hot gas, tallow, and bits of burnt powder were blasted into her palm through the cylinder/barrel gap. She was sore for a week. I still have a few bars of the tallow/beeswax mix although I don't get a chance to shoot much anymore.

 

[Hawks88]

Still a nice find. Congrats

 

[Reanm8er]

I'd been reading along here to possibly make a comment but then read the two most important terms: Chain fire and lard.
I don't think it was dropped Joe, it was probably thrown over his head by the arch of his arm.

Brilliant guys, thanks and best wishes!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I'd been reading along here to possibly make a comment but then read the two most important terms: Chain fire and lard.
I don't think it was dropped Joe, it was probably thrown over his head by the arch of his arm.

Brilliant guys, thanks and best wishes!

Maybe he had to rush to the hospital leaving the gun behind?

 

[Reanm8er]

Not at all unlikely!

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, still a nice find. There are a lot of folks on this site who really know their stuff. I would have guess original or very, very old due to the corrosion.

 

[l.cutler]

It is also a brass framed "Remington", but Remington never made brass framed guns of this model.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I used percussion Colts for years, original, modern Colt made, and Italian ones. I started with muzzle loader rifles and shotguns and had made a good supply of mutton tallow/beeswax minie or patch lube. I always packed my revolver cylinders tight with that over the balls or slugs and never had a problem. Gotta be careful with that stuff!! Worst accident I had was not watching a girlfriend closely enough (she had shot mine many times before) and she decided to give the Colt better support and moved her left hand out under the loading lever. When she fired the hot gas, tallow, and bits of burnt powder were blasted into her palm through the cylinder/barrel gap. She was sore for a week. I still have a few bars of the tallow/beeswax mix although I don't get a chance to shoot much anymore.

Awesome points.....

Use of lard was my first lesson.....I was told always use lard to prevent a chain fire, plus they said you could shoot it 99 times with no issues, then bang and you're in pain the 100th time you shot it. Heck the first time I fired my ASM pistol, I was so worried I couldn't enjoy shooting it. As I am a gun collector I have a serious respect for what they can do. My mug might be ugly, but I quite fond of and attached to it.

Couldn't resist this one, as it was unfired and priced at $99.00 a few years ago. I've fired it twice just to do it.

 

[gunsil]

I think the extreme rusting of the steel parts on the found gun is due to the fact that it is a cheap Italian pistol and made with low grade steel. I have seen real CW revolvers dug from battle sites and they were not in as bad a shape as that one. I have dug CW rifle barrels too that were not as badly gone as the found pistol. Also, for those of you who shoot these pistols, the lard/beeswax is a better cylinder sealer than plain lard or some of the grease sold in gun shops these days. The Tallow/beeswax is thicker and will not melt easily as plain lard will do and it stays in place better. It can also be left in the cylinders for weeks without oozing out and is the best minie lube, or at least the original minie lube. I would just get some mutton tallow and beeswax and melt it together 50/50 and pour it into small pudding dishes to let harden so I had convenient cakes to keep in my possibles bag.

 

[Reanm8er]

Ditto Mike!

Some years ago I was able to clean and fire my GG Grandfather's 1860 Army Colt. It was solid and perfectly
serviceable, but pulling that trigger the first time was a little nervy. My sentiments exactly on the facial
recognition aspect. Fingers don't grow back either.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have that same pistol Mike. Colt Navy .45 right? Its a pretty firearm. I had to replace some parts inside.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I have that same pistol Mike. Colt Navy .45 right? Its a pretty firearm. I had to replace some parts inside.

Yeap Colt Navy 1851, although the real ones didn't have a brass frame, they only had a brass trigger guard and back strap. This is 36 cal like the original versus 44 or 45.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It is also a brass framed "Remington", but Remington never made brass framed guns of this model.

This is true, and anyone finding a brass frame revolver should be skeptical. I dug one a while back that was a repro Colt, looked good in the hole but after a good cleaning it was obviously not the real deal. The only reason I didn't say the brass frame disqualifies a revolver from being an original period piece is that there are brass frame guns of this era. One notable revolver is the Confederate made Spiller and Burr which could be mistaken in dug condition for a Remington if whoever found it wasn't somewhat knowledgeable on guns of this period. I'd hate for someone to think an actual and valuable relic was a repro because they had the impression that brass frames were not correct

Here's a Spiler and Burr, if you were to dig one of these that was damaged and corroded like the OP's and you weren't familiar with old revolvers, you might not know what you had, and a quick search might have you convinced it was a repro....