1851 Colt Navy London

The 1851 Colt Navy is arguably one of Colt’s most famous pistol designs. It was one of the first successful revolvers designed from the beginning to be small and light enough to be carried on the belt, while being powerful enough for military use.

The Navy got its name from its caliber and from the engraving on its cylinder featuring a naval battle between the Texan and Mexican Navies. A 6 shot, .36 caliber revolver, the 1851 Navy was a near immediate success.

The Navy was in the holsters of American civilians and soldiers in the West starting in the 1850s and during the Civil War, it proved to be one of the most popular sidearms on both sides. The 1851 was especially loved by Confederate troops, and its design was incorporated into Confederate produced revolvers like the Griswold & Gunnison and the Leech & Rigdon.

By the time production ceased in 1873, over 250,000 of the pistols had been built, mainly in Colt’s Hartford, CT facility. Of that number, around 42,000 of the 1851 Navies had the distinction of being produced not in the US, but in London. In the 1850s, Samuel Colt attempted to spread his firearms empire across the pond. Unfortunately, despite some decent purchases by the British government during the Crimean war, Colt ended up closing the London factory in 1856.

Most Colt London Navies are recognizable and distinct thanks to their iron frame used instead of the typical brass. This particular pistol is no exception. It is an 1855 model with all matching serial numbers including the wedge! It has some dings on the wood grips and little original finish remaining, however the action works perfectly and some naval scene remains.

Overall, this is an affordable and fairly clean example of a well known and rare Colt revolver with ties to American and English history.