The Colt Navy introduced in 1850, initially came in a .36 calibre with a seven inch barrel and weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces. Perhaps the most famous owner of a Colt Navy was Wild Bill Hickok.
The weapon was popular because it was half the weight of the widely used, .44 Dragoon but was equally as effective. In 1861 Colt produced a round barrel version of the gun and dubbed it the model 1861. The original Colt Navy became known as the Old Model Navy but today it is known to collectors as the Model 1851.
The Colt 1861 Navy typically was used with paper cartridges - 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 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.
The Colt Navy was a very effective weapon with tests by both the US and UK governments revealing that it was deadly at 100 yards and in the hands of a marksman could prove useful at even twice that distance. Hickok famously brought down Davies Tutt at over 75 yards with the weapon.
2 comments:
Good stuff, Gary. Let's see more smokewagons.
These are some of the most beautiful guns ever made. I just recently bought a Uberti recreation of this, although without the pearl handle.
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