Colt Model 1861 Navy .36 Cal Black Powder Revolver, 2nd Generation F-Series, 7.5 Inch Barrel, Blue/Case-Hardened
This Colt Model 1861 Navy is a 2nd Generation F-Series revolver from the Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series, manufactured in 1980. It features the classic .36 caliber configuration with a 7.5 inch barrel, deep bluing, vivid color case-hardening, and the correct Ormsby naval battle scene on the cylinder. Finished and assembled in the United States for Colt using Italian-made parts, it shows matching serial numbers on the major components and includes its original factory packaging and literature.
Condition
Overall Condition: Excellent condition, showing only faint signs of any prior use or handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Excellent - Clean, mirror finish, no signs of wear.
Bore Rifling: Excellent Rifling - Sharp lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The original factory bluing on the barrel and cylinder presents a deep, uniform finish with no holster wear or thinning. The color case hardening on the frame, hammer, and loading lever remains bold with vivid, swirling patterns. Surfaces show virtually no handling marks, indicating careful storage and very limited firing.
What’s Included
- Colt "the authentic Colt BLACKPOWDER series" factory cardboard box with end label "1861 Navy" and matching serial number (number not disclosed)
- Colt Cap and Ball Revolvers instruction manual (©1978 Colt Industries)
- Factory yellow safety/caution hang tag
- Colt Blackpowder Shooters promotional insert
This Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series F-Series revolver (mfg part number F1300) represents Colt’s factory 2nd Generation production, with parts sourced from Italy and finished/assembled in the United States. The absence of foreign proofmarks is noted, aligning with final assembly under Colt oversight.
The revolver is a .36 caliber, single-action, cap-and-ball, open-top percussion design with a six-chamber cylinder and percussion nipples. It has a 7.5 inch round barrel and a creeping (rack-and-pinion) loading lever for positive ball seating. Sighting is traditional, with a pin/bead front and hammer-notch rear.
Correct roll-engraving details include the naval battle scene on the cylinder, factory-engraved by W.L. Ormsby, New York. Period-correct markings are present, including the barrel top address "— ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA —" and "36 CAL" on the trigger guard.
Finishes are true to the pattern: blued barrel and cylinder, with color case-hardened frame, hammer, and loading lever. It wears a one-piece smooth wood grip with a glossy reddish finish. Matching serial numbers are found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, backstrap, and cylinder.
Packaging matches the series, with the black "Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series" box and period literature included, adding to the completeness and appeal of this example.