original 1860 colt with fluted cylinder

[clyde]

dear all,
let me introduce myself : my name is Alex aka Clyde, I usually post on the spencer shooting society forum.
I have a question for you Colt aficionados. A friend of mine has recently acquired an original coast 1860 with fluted cylinder. The gun is in very good shape. The serial number is 5575. The gun should have been produced in 1861.
Now here comes the question : is there a way to find more information on the pistol, for instance is there a chance that this gun was part of a shipment from Colt to any southern state in the 1st months of 1861 ? I have read that Colt used to sell to the South as well as the North until the very last moment when Secession was declared.
Any advise on where to fin info on this beautiful gun would be much appreciated.
Thank you all
Alex

[Blair]

clyde,

There is a very good book out there on Confederate small arms called "Confederate Longarms And Pistols", by RT Hill & W E Anthony.
The section on Pistols and Revolvers does include Colt made guns sold to various Southern States, even after they broke from the Union.
The US Gov. put a stop to this, as one would expect.
I don't think there is a listing by SS# of just what was sold in Southern States, but the numbers, to different States is rather substantial.
Your M-1860 SS# could well be among them?
The best way to cross check would be to request a "Letter" on that number (if it exists within the available records).
Hope this info helps.
My best,
Blair

[St. George]

Buy a Colt Factory Letter for $200 - it'll tell you when is was built, and whomever it was shipped to.

If it went to any Southern hardware supplier, that'll be noted, but that's too little information for what Colt wants for a Letter on a percussion.

Scouts Out!

[Abilene]

Mike Harvey of Cimarron has one of the fluted 1860's that came to Texas through the Union blockade, known as a "McCulloch Colt".  This was evident by the serial number, but I don't know who he checked with to find that out.

[clyde]

Thank you for the replies . I will give a try with a  Colt factory letter.
clyde

[St. George]

Be advised that Colt's information on percussion production is spotty, at best.

Hence $200 for the effort, instead of $100 or less for other Colts.

1860s in your serial number range are noted as being shipped to Pennsylvania in 1861 - to Union dealers..

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St. George's Notes XVIII - M1860 Contract...

« on: June 08, 2005, 11:16:40 AM »     

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The Colt Model 1860 Army was perhaps the most often-seen revolver of the Civil War.

Accurate, well-balanced, hard-hitting and dependable - it was extremely well respected by combatants on both sides of that conflict.

The fact that it was also streamlined and graceful in design helped - following an advertising precept in use today - that - 'If it looks good - it'll probably perform well' - thus engendering confidence in the weapon.

Here are some notes pertaining to the Government's purchases of them in the arming of a wartime fighting force.

The Federal purchases are as follows:

The First Contract of May 4, 1861 - 500 revolvers - followed on May 15, 1861 with another 500.

The first shipment was delivered on June 4, 1861 - along with an additional 300 revolvers - at the cost of $25 each.

The first 'substantial' order was for 5000 revolvers - and that was let on June 12, 1861.

Demand was high - to say the least.

By October 9, 1861 - all had been delivered - with more to follow - all at the same price.

Between October 21, 1861 and April 15, 1862 - Colt delivered 25,700 Model 1860's at $25 each.

The Second Contract - June 6, 1862 - was for 15,000 - the price to be paid was then $14.50.

The Third Contract - August 14, 1862 - was priced at $14.00.

The First Contract of 1863 - January 30 - was for 30,000 revolvers at $14.00 each.

The last Contract for the War was let on May 25, 1863 - for 20,000 revolvers at $14.00 each and was completed on November 10, 1863, when 800 revolvers were received.

An additional 155 revolvers were also received at $13.73 - but they were furnished without the bullet mold.

The Confederate Army was able to purchase them from various suppliers - immediately before the War.

In fact - they were the first to use the weapon - having gotten them from the shipment Colt made to large supply houses below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Between December, 1860 and April, 1861 - 2,230 were shipped in bulk orders to dealers in the South:

50 to William M. Sage of South Carolina
160 to William T. Martin of Natchez, Mississippi
120 to H.D. Norton & Bros., in San Antonio, Texas
1,100 to Kitteridge & Folson, New Orleans, Louisiana
500 to Peter Williams & Co., Richmond, Virginia.
Additionally - 300 were purchased directly by Georgia, rather than through dealers.

Incidentally - a Southern dealer - H.D. Norton & Bros., - reported to Colt about the new fluted cylinders bursting due to thinness - and Colt immediately corrected the problem.

Confederates also had an additional link in the 'Supply Chain' - that of 'battlefield capture and recovery' - and in the early days of the War - that surely was easy.

Later on, though - as Union Cavalry got more seasoned and deadly - it ceased to be a truly viable method

The end of the War saw 9,047 revolvers retained by former Federal Officers and Enlisted Men, with the price being deducted from their Mustering-Out pay.

The Ordnance Department would continue disposing of their percussion Colts for thirty years after the end of the War.

Here are the prices of the Army Colts during those years of disposal:

December - 1868 - 149 Colt Armies - sold @ $5.25 each.
May - 1870 - 142 Colt Armies - sold @ $4.52 each.
October - 1876 - 140 Colt Armies - sold @ $1.70 each.
October - 1883 - 100 Colt armies - sold @ $1.75 each.
February - 1884 - 409 Colt Armies - sold @ $2.05 each.
December - 1892 - 13 Colt Armies - sold @ $1.60 each.
June - 1901 - 740 Colt Armies - sold @ $00.16 - $00.51 each.

This illustrates 'just' the venerable and ubiquitous 'New Model Army'.


Scouts Out! .

[clyde]

Thank you very Much St. George !
Clyde

[St. George]

De Nada,

Scouts Out!