This beautiful Colt pocket is serial number 183186, has all matching numbers inside and out, was made in 1860, carries a .31 caliber four-inch barrel with a crisp Hartford barrel address, and has a five-shot cylinder with an excellent, vivid stagecoach holdup scene. The bore is minty and the mechanics are perfect. All metal is smooth. The markings and cylinder scene crisp. The pistol shows loads of original blue on the barrel, case color on the frame, and silver on triggerguard and backstrap. The one-piece walnut grips have nice color and finish. The pistol rates excellent, with 80 percent or better original finish overall, all original parts, sharp lettering and nice grips.

The barrel shows 80 percent or better strong original blue with some rubbing the octagonal barrel edges and some light scratches and a small bit of freckling forward of the cylinder on the left and some light tiny dings on the right from tapping out the wedge. The barrel address is crisp. The loading assembly shows very strong dark case color. The frame shows muted, but very visible case colors. The screws show plenty of blue and no evidence of turning. The cylinder shows 65-70 percent thin blue with some slight shift to plum and an incredibly sharps cylinder scene with patent information and serial number. We see just a little softness to the final T in patent. The triggerguard has 80 percent or better silver with brass showing only as a hairline along the frame. The coverage of the backstrap is excellent with just a hint of brass at the toe of the buttstrap and a spot further back toward the heel. The grips have a tight fit, excellent color, a few shallow handling marks on the left and one or two on the right.

This follows the standard configuration of Colt’s most popular firearm, produced for 23 years, from 1850 to 1873. Developed as a successor to the “Baby Dragoon” and as a handier version of the 1851 .36 Navy Caliber belt revolver, the .31 caliber Colt Pocket was aimed, so to speak, at travelers and adventurers headed west starting with the 1849 gold rush. The model was extremely popular with civilians for decades, and the pistols were widely purchased privately as sidearms for army officers, gifts to militia soldiers or departing volunteers, etc. There are many sub-models and variations. Flayderman estimated that to be fairly complete a collection of this model alone would encompass some 200 guns.

This is a very, very nice looking example that would be hard to improve upon with a good pre-Civil War date.  [sr] [ph:m]

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