Colt M1861 Navy
Colt M1861 Navy | |
---|---|
Single-action | |
Muzzle velocity | 850 to 1,000 ft/s depending upon load |
Feed system | 6 round cylinder |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Colt_Navy_61_Conversion.jpg/220px-Colt_Navy_61_Conversion.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/1861Navy2.jpg/220px-1861Navy2.jpg)
The Colt Model 1861 Navy
History
Like its forerunner, the
During the Civil War its main competitor in England was the
Characteristics
There were few variations of the Model 1861 Navy Colt. Approximately 100 of the first guns made had fluted cylinders with no cylinder scene. Another 100, made between the serial ranges of 11,000 and 14,000 were cut for a shoulder stock – the lower portion of the recoil shield was milled away and a fourth screw for the stock was added to the frame. With the exception of the first fifty or so of this model, all guns had a capping groove. A brass trigger guard and back strap, silver-plated, were standard. The cylinders of the Navy 1851 and 1861 Navy Colt revolvers are engraved with a scene of the victory of the
The Colt 1861 Navy typically was used with paper cartridges, that is, with a cartridge consisting of nitrated paper, a pre-measured black powder charge, and a bullet that was either a lead round ball or a lead conical bullet. The nitrated paper of the cartridge was completely consumed upon use, and the use of paper cartridges enabled faster re-loading. Alternatively, it was always possible to load with measured powder charges and lead round balls.
After the expiration of the Rollin White Patent (Apr. 3, 1869), a number of Navy 1861 and its forerunner, the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver were converted or newly made to fire .38 rimfire or centerfire cartridges, the Colt Model 1861 Richards- Mason Conversion by the Colt factory.
References
- ^ R.L. Wilson, Colt, an American Legend
- ^ ISBN 0-517-63606-9.