The Model 1860 Contract...

[St. George]

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'.
More to follow on the Model 1851 Navy and - not to slight the Remingtons and the like - more will be written about their Contracts later.

Scouts Out!