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MODEL 1860 COLT ARMY PISTOL
– IDENTIFIED TO COMPANY E 8TH US CAVALRY – A
HISTORIC EARLY INDIAN WAR ISSUED REVOLVER:
One of the distinctive, and now well documented,
evolutions of the Model 1860 Colt Army Revolver, this
pistol was refurbished after the Civil War for reissue
to the Frontier Army during the early Indian War years.
While many of the known specimens of this refurbishing
effort have a “US” stamp immediately forward of the
trigger guard bow, apparently not all of these
refurbished pistols were so stamped. During the
refurbishing process the pistol was disassembled, the
parts were polished usually resulting in the removal of
the much of the cylinder scene, the muzzle was trimmed
and crowned, and the pistols were reassembled without
regard for matching the original serial numbers,
resulting in mixed numbers on the various parts.
This pistol, although not
stamped “US” on the trigger guard, presents with some
compelling features which not only identify it as one of
these early Indian War Frontier Army Colts, but also
documents the issue of this pistol to Company E of the 8TH
US Cavalry Regiment.
The muzzle of the barrel
has been trimmed resulting in a barrel length of 7 ¾”.
The cylinder has been polished, but much of the scene
is still present, indicative that this pistol may not
have required the heavy polishing noted on most of these
refurbished Colts. The serial numbers on the frame,
backstrap and trigger guard are the same number – 88409,
and the serial numbers on the barrel and cylinder are
the same number – 69202, indicating the components of
two pistols were combined during the refurbishing
process. The presence of mixed numbers is
characteristic of these pistols and is well documented
by several published researchers.
Having saved the best for
last, both sides of the pistol’s grip are stamped “Co E
8TH CAV”. The format and font of this
stamping is identical as those noted on the grips of
another Model 1860 Army and on a Remington New Model
Army – both pistols bearing the same “Co E 8TH
CAV” stamping.
The 8TH US
Cavalry Regiment was created in 1866, after the Civil
War, as the army reorganized and expanded to meet the
demands of the advancing frontier. Since the Model 1860
Colt Army pistols were replaced in 1874 with the
adoption of the Model 1873 Colt Single Actions, the
markings on the grips of this pistol were applied during
that fairly tight intervening period of eight years.
During those years, the 8Th was attached to
the Department of California, and Company E was
stationed, and saw considerable action, in Oregon
against the Modocs and in the Arizona Territory against
the Apaches.
It is worth noting that
while the army did not approve such unit identification
stamps on the firearms, and in fact, specifically
prohibited the practice via written orders, there were
several units on the frontier that regularly applied
stamped identification marks on their guns, to include
the 3RD, 4TH, 8TH, 9TH,
and 10TH Cavalry Regiments. Of special
interest is that as the army discouraged the practice,
and therefore never established a service- wide standard
for content, font, or placement of the identification
stamps on the arms, each unit developed their own unique
criteria and style. The unique nature of these stamps
has proven to be a boon to modern collectors, as once
familiar with the placement and style of a particular
unit’s stampings, the collector is better equipped to
identify genuine stamps from spurious stamps applied to
enhance an unmarked piece, and as most of these early
frontier arms were used heavily and often show
significant wear, in the cases where a portion of the
markings have been partially worn or obliterated, what
markings remain are sufficient to make a complete
identification of the unit to which the gun belonged.
Such is the case with this
Colt. While in generally very good condition, the grips
do show the expected wear of a pistol carried by a
soldier serving on the frontier. From what is legible,
and as compared to the format of the stampings on the
two other known 8TH Cavalry pistols, both
sides of the grip on this Colt were stamped “Co E 8TH
CAV” in an arc following the curve of the grip.
The right side of the grip
retains a legible “Co…..8…..CAV”, with the serifs of the
“E” and the “TH” still visible under close inspection.
On the left side of the
grip retains a legible “Co E….. TH …..CAV”,
with only the tops of the “E” and the “TH” being
visible. The heavier wear to the center portion of the
line of stamping is consistent to that part of the grip
that would have worn against the inside surface of the
holster flap, particularly with the regular motion of
the soldier on horseback.
In spite of the wear, and
the faded portions of the markings, there is no doubt
whatsoever that the stampings are original to the
pistol’s period of use, and that they are indeed genuine
8TH Cavalry markings. The grips, giving
every indication of being original to the revolver, are
in very good condition with no significant wear at the
toe and only the normally encountered handling marks
with no cracks or breaks.
The mechanics are
excellent, with the cylinder indexing properly and
locking up tight at full cock. The metal finish is very
smooth with a blue turned plum color overall, and with
some traces of the case color patterns visible on the
frame. In the right light, some traces of the original
blue finish still show through the patina in protected
areas. The proper inspector’s marks are still visible,
and the barrel address and frame stamping are clear and
legible. The brass guard has a nice mellow patina and
it is also stamped “CO” - perhaps an initial effort to
stamp the unit marks before they were applied to the
grip. The edge of the muzzle is worn, a commonly seen
indicator that the pistol was carried regularly in a
mounted soldier’s holster where the constant motion
buffed the edge of the muzzle against the toe plug of
the holster.
Most of these refurbished
1860 Colt Army Pistols appear to have seen extensive
service on the frontier, and many of them probably did
not survive to be available today. Now that their place
in the history of the Indian War Cavalry has been well
documented, they have become very desirable and somewhat
difficult to find. That this particular specimen is
unit marked in a well known manner adds considerably to
the value. There will be no doubt that you are holding
a true piece of history from the early Indian Wars and
one that was carried on the American Frontier.
SOLD
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