U.S. Civil War small arms.

[drm2m]

mr. dirt thanks very much for your kind words...it is a very interesting collecting period....lots of interesting history...not just of Militaria.

You have had the good fortune of having been exposed to both the Northern and Southern story.
-----------------------------------

Ade,

The Model 1860 Colt Army revolver shown below was recently sold at auction (January 2010)...these old Colts are truly things of beauty in this condition.

This is a civilian pistol so it did not go through the rigours of a very nasty war.

Interesting to see what these guns originally looked like.

The bid closed at $97,750….far beyond my means.



Lot #1043. Cased Colt Civilian Model 1860 Army Revolver in Exceptional Condition, with Accessories
Description: Serial no. 152329, .44 perc. cal., 6-shot cylinder with roll-engraved naval engagement scene, 8” barrel marked “ – ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA - .” Left side of frame stamped “COLTS/PATENT.” Left shoulder of triggerguard with “44 CAL” marking. Frame cut for shoulder stock on recoil shield, but made with the civilian pattern three-screws. Notch on buttstrap for shoulder stock clamp. High gloss civilian blued finish, with case-hardened loading lever, frame and hammer. Silver-plated brass triggerguard. Varnished one-piece walnut grips. Mahogany case, lined in burgundy velvet, with accessories of stand-of-flags Colt’s Patent powder flask embossed on both sides, blued steel mold with “COLT’S/PATENT” on spruecutter and “C” on one arm, blued steel L-shaped screwdriver/nipple wrench, can of Eley Bros. percussion caps in paper wrapper, case key and four extra nipples.



Condition: Excellent. Showing 98% bright blue and 99% vivid colors to case-hardening, minor marks on blued surface, minor patch oxidation on right side of barrel, the buttstrap with oxidation and small amount of blue remaining, rest of backstrap with 99% bright blue. Traces of silver plating on triggerguard strap, mellow patina to brass. Crisp markings and cylinder scene, relatively light roll partly due to factory polish for bright blue. Grips with 100% rich varnish, minor nicks at butt. Minor fading and wear to velvet case lining. Light marks on exterior with 99% varnish. Ex Collection: Russell Goldstein; Fred Sweeney.
Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000


Greg Martin Auctions - Auction & Appraisal Specialists - Fine Arms and Armor - Antique Firearms & Collectibles











David

[drdata]

SoB, that is a nice collection. Every time I think I'm doing ok someone ponies up with a real collection that puts me in my place. Oh well, I humbly submit one of my nicer CW swords, which sux in comparison. Still, has good inspection marks, and while the blade has some staining, there are no nics or pits.

[drm2m]

drtata,

Your saber looks like it has a story to tell....thanks for posting the photos.

Collecting CW swords is a very interesting and wide quest.


Many types of handguns were private purchases during the Civil War…here are a few examples.

Model 1849 Colt Pocket revolver ….31 caliber.. 5 shot.
Manufactured in 1855.

















Model 1862 Police Revolver, manufactured in early 1863.
.36 Navy caliber.















Model 1861 Colt Navy revolver.
Manufactured in 1861- serial number 3830.




The two long cartridges are for the .58 and .577 cal. rifled muskets.







MANHATTAN NAVY SERIES 1 .36 Cal. Circa 1859-68. Five shot, 4 inch barrel. Barrel address “Manhattan Fire Arms Mfg. Co. New York”.









David

Some of the boys and their handguns that were probably privately purchased or were borrowed for the photos to send home to the family.

[drdata]

Thanks for your kind words, Drm2m, and yet more peaks at your awesome stuff. I own modern firearms, but never caught the urge for antique ones. Something I may not be able remain successful at, if you do not stop posting.

Old edged weapons do float my boat, as they say. I love seeing period pics of dagger and sword wear. There seems a common theme in CV pics, like the ones you post, of the brave young man proudly outfitted for war; always sporting a few blades and a pair of pistols. There was one on a recent antiques road show showing a white southern aside a black (who was ostensibly his slave), equally outfitted for battle. Blows your mind...

The Napoleonic ideal of chivalrous war and "fighting the good fight" meets the industrial age of efficient killing machinery. Those boys looks so eager to dash off into honor and glory; I can only hope it worked out for them.

Thanks again for the fine pics of an awesome collection.

Cheers

[drm2m]

The S&W No.2 Old Model was a popular personal sidearm with many officers and enlisted men during the Civil War.
General George Armstrong Custer is known to have owned a pair of these guns.
”Wild Bill” Hickok while marshal of Deadwood was carrying a Model 2 “Army” the night he was shot in August 1874.

The guns produced (by May 1, 1865) with serial numbers under 35731 could have seen use during the Civil War.
The total production was approx. 77,155 by the time this model was discontinued in 1872.
The serial number on this gun is 42584 and was probably manufactured around 1868.


A rather unusual story about how I got this pistol.


I inherited this S&W Model No.2 Old Model revolver (a.k.a. Model No.2 Army)
.32 caliber Long Rim Fire, (Smith & Wesson Number 2 cartridge.)
from my father in-law in 1991.


On April 17th 1960 a man showed up at his front door to rob him using this Smith & Wesson revolver…the gun was wrestled away from the intruder …who then fled and was captured by the police a few blocks away.


Sometime after the court case the police gave the revolver back to my father in-law as a souvenir….after filing down the hammer to prevent firing.

According to reports from the family ….the gun was loaded.

My father in-law was a man that was close to his money…the wrong guy to try and steal from….he went on to become the mayor for thirteen years in the Ontario town where he lived.

I believe the police decided to commemorate the event by scratching the date of
the event on the gun...otherwise it is in pretty decent condition.

I have been looking for an ejection lug which is missing….I doubt I will ever find an original replacement part.

The stories that come with some pieces.....this bandito must have had a weakness for black powder vintage firearms????

David

















Some more period CW photos for they that may be interested.

[drm2m]

Is this Artillery soldier holding a Model 1841 (Mississippi rifle) ?




I am not sure?

David

(Click on the images to enlarge them.)

[drdata]

Thanks for another thought provoking post.
The gun story was a lark.

I'm not 100%, but looks like the Calvary man has my saber!

Pardon my ignorance. Are these pics originals? Some seem familiar but not sure, and judging from the rest of your stuff I suspect these are the real deal.

Regards

Edit/PS> What is with that bayonet? It's longer than the rifle! Very nice setup and matching that pic nicely. You canooks do well with the US CW it seems.

[drm2m]

drdata,

This dude definitely has your sabre!!!????

The saber bayonet for the U.S. Model 1841 rifle had an overall length of 27-1/4 inches....the overall length of the rifle was 48-1/2
inches...from a practical stand point....the bayonet was probably a useless piece of work.....
but probably pretty scary looking if you faced them in the field with that threatening weapon shining in the sunlight?

David

Yes the pics are the real deal.

[drm2m]

drdata,

I re-read your last post and realized that you were possibly asking me if the photos were originals owned by me....I wish they were.

They came from various government achieves that are available on the Internet.

Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.

David

[mr.dirt]

When I was a boy growing up in Georgia, North Carolina and kentucky, I was lucky enough to meet and be taught by the children of the CW vets.
My 2nd grade teacher was still at work at 72 and I can remember her showing us her Daddy's Cavalry Saber, Navy colt and the remains of his Cavalry unit's flag. He rode with Stonewall Jackson. She never called it the Civil War or War of Northern Agression..she referred to it as "that late unplesantness".
It is interesting that to this day you can trace the path of Sherman's March through Georgia by the towns which have Ante Bellum homes and those that do not. The ones that do either were far eonough from the fray or were closer and negotiated a truce or neutral status by agreeing to be used as a hospital city. Newnan, Georgia was one of these. You can still find a number of stately homes and buildings where the owners will proudly point to the bullet holes in the exterior that remain to this day.
My childhood was spent playing "Yanks & Rebs" among the monuments and gravestones of the Lookout Mountain battlefield and digging for minie balls at New Market and Knoxville.
A few years ago, I was involved in the development of a piece of woodlands that had not been built upon since the 1800's and during the excavation of the foundation a cry was heard "Oh God, it's a cemetary"
(the builder/developer hoping to God it wasn't), I took a look and noticed that all the "bodies" were arm and leg bones and told him we had found a field hospital and those were the amputations buried in a pit. We called the State Universitry Archeology Dept and spent a week watching them dig and remove a large amount of remains, weapons (mostly rifles) and medical paraphinalia. When I had the time I did some research and found that the woods was less than a mile from a fairly large battle site (which is now, unfortunately, a Shopping Mall.

Being that my family are among the founders of Cadiz, Kentucky in the early 1800's and had settled all over Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas-it is a good bet that cousins fought cousins as they faced each other on the battlefield. Kentucky was home to many families that were loyal to both sides.