Chapter 1.6.4 – Currently Recognized Miniatures of the Uberti Colt 1861 Navies

Background: The Colt 1861 Navy cap & baller was a six-shot, .36 caliber, single action percussion revolver. Colt's Manufacturing Company produced 38,000 units of this weapon from 1861 to 1873. It incorporated the advanced design features of creeping loading lever with catch and the round barrel introduced with the Colt 1860 Army. This sets it apart from the contemporary Colt 1851 Navy.

At 7,5" the 1861's barrel was one half inch shorter than the one of the 1860 Army. Most were fitted with straight cylinders roll-engraved with the Ormsby naval engagement scene. Backstraps and triggerguards fitted were usually brass. Few are documented with steel grip frames, however.

Like its forerunner the Colt 1851 Navy it saw widespread use in the Civil War and on the Western frontier1).

Except for about the first 100 revolvers produced all recoil shield cutouts were produced with a capping groove2). None of the miniature Ubeerti Colt 1861 Navies in the Hunzinger Collection was found with this capping groove.

During the 1860s Colt assembled ca. 100 specimens of 3-screw 1861 Navies with fluted cylinders. These models are available as full-size Uberti replicas but have not surfaced as miniatures.

Three Basic Colt 1861 Navy Variants: Like in the Colt 1860 Army the major difference in the three variants is in their frame. They feature either 

1. historically correct 3-screw frames without notches in the recoil shield and toe on the butt, triggerguard and backstrap made of steel,

2. 3-screw frames with the recoil shield cut for engaging the yoke of a shoulder stock, with or without toe on the butt. These 1861 Navy variant is a fantasy pistol. 

3. historically correct four (4) screw frames with two notches in the recoil shield and toe on the butt, the backstraps are often blued steel. These rare variants were usually supplied with a matching shoulder stock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

1. Wikipedia: COLT 1861 NAVY, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_M1861_Navy

2. Wilson, R.L.: THE BOOK OF COLT FIREARMS THIRD EDITION, 2008

 

September 19, 2019/WDN

Uberti Colt 1861 Navy miniature #MP14: historically correct 3-screw frame

Uberti Colt 1861 Navy miniature #320: 3-screw frame with notches in the recoil shield make her a fantasy pistol