1875 Spur Trigger Colt's Ad

[Abilene]

This advertisement from Kittredge & Co. in Cincinatti features 5 models of Colt's revolvers.  The small poster sized ad was framed, and my picture of it isn't great, but I have posted it in high-resolution so you can read the descriptions.  It is dated 1875.  I am not at all familiar with these models, and certainly never heard of them being called Little Colt, Pony Colt, Pet Colt, Ladies Colt, and Big Colt.  Did Colt call them that or was this a marketing scheme of Kittredge?  The Pet Colt in .38 Caliber states "It takes the same long cartrdiges that rifles do; so that the rifle shooter needs only to provide one size ammunition."  I'm wondering which rifle they are referring to? 

Kittredge Spur Trigger Colt's Ad

[JimBob]

Colt marketed those revolvers as "The New Line" pocket revolvers.I believe the names in the add are Kittredge's advertising hype.The New Line .38 could be had in .38 short and long rim fire and center fire,some single shots were available in those calibers. Ballard offered a rifle in that chambering with a convertable firing pin to handle either CF or RF.

[Abilene]

JimBob, thanks for enlightening me.  I was pretty sure there were no repeating rifles at the time in .38 but didn't know about the single shots.  I don't see too many of these types of Colt's in antique auctions compared to their other models.  Wonder if they didn't make too many?

[Advertising]

[JimBob]

A little production data on the "New Line" revolvers from Wilson's Book of Colt Firearms-

New Line .22RF  c.1873-1877  aprox.55,343 made. Marketed through c.1890

New Line .30RF  c.1874-1876  aprox.11,000 made

New Line .32 RF&CF  c.1873-1884  aprox.22,000 made

New Line .38 RF&CF  c.1874-1880  aprox.5500 made

New  Line .41RF&CF  c.1874-1879  aprox.7000 made

These were eventually replaced by the "New House" and "New Police" models.

[Abilene]

Thanks for the info!