# 1862 Colt Navy 36 Cal, difference from reproduction to original



## lance70

Hello, is there a way to tell a reproduction from an original on a 1862 Colt Navy 36 Cal. When I look up reproductions on the internet they describe them as having the same engraving paterns so I wasn't sure. Thank you.

Lance


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## Steve M1911A1

That's not a Colt's Navy revolver: Its barrel is too short, and it has a five-shot cylinder. The Navy has a longer barrel and a six-shot cylinder. Also, it's not a 1862 model, but the older, 1851 version.

Your gun is the New Model Pocket Pistol of Navy Caliber.

I have no idea whether it's a real Colt or a reproduction.


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## lance70

Steve M1911A1 said:


> That's not a Colt's Navy revolver: Its barrel is too short, and it has a five-shot cylinder. The Navy has a longer barrel and a six-shot cylinder. Also, it's not a 1862 model, but the older, 1851 version.
> 
> Your gun is the New Model Pocket Pistol of Navy Caliber.
> 
> I have no idea whether it's a real Colt or a reproduction.


Thanks for the help, I'm confused on what year it may be then, looking at this article it looks like it may be the same.

http://www.antiquearmsinc.com/colt-1862-navy-percussion-revolver.htm


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## Steve M1911A1

I believe that the Antique Arms, Inc. site has either matched the wrong pistol with its description, or is ignorant of the difference between the 1851 and the 1862 configurations. The pistol in their photos has the 1851 configuration, but their words describe a pistol with the 1862 configuration.
The term "Pocket Navy" refers to a .36, five-shot pistol in the 1862 configuration. The term "New Model Pocket Pistol of Navy Caliber" refers to a .36, five-shot pistol in the 1851 configuration.

The 1851-configured pistols have octagon barrels and hinged-lever rammers (like yours), while 1862-configured pistols have round barrels that smoothly meld into the frame and "creeping-lever" rammers.
The 1862 Navy and Pocket pistols look like smaller versions of the famous 1861 Colt's Army .44, while 1851 Pocket pistols look like the famous Colt's Navy .36 revolver.


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## lance70

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I believe that the Antique Arms, Inc. site has either matched the wrong pistol with its description, or is ignorant of the difference between the 1851 and the 1862 configurations. The pistol in their photos has the 1851 configuration, but their words describe a pistol with the 1862 configuration.
> The term "Pocket Navy" refers to a .36, five-shot pistol in the 1862 configuration. The term "New Model Pocket Pistol of Navy Caliber" refers to a .36, five-shot pistol in the 1851 configuration.
> 
> The 1851-configured pistols have octagon barrels and hinged-lever rammers (like yours), while 1862-configured pistols have round barrels that smoothly meld into the frame and "creeping-lever" rammers.
> The 1862 Navy and Pocket pistols look like smaller versions of the famous 1861 Colt's Army .44, while 1851 Pocket pistols look like the famous Colt's Navy .36 revolver.


Thanks for the info! You really know your stuff on this. I appreciate you explaining the differences as well. That clears it up a lot for me, so in your opinion would I need to take this in to someone to check if it's original or how would you go about doing that? The only thing I know is my great uncle must of had it for a long long time. He had passed away last year and my dad was left everything he had. It was just a few months ago he was going through some boxes in the attic and found this gun. I wish I knew more history on how he came ot have it.


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## Steve M1911A1

I don't know where you are.
Are there any antique-gun dealers in your area? Ask them for advice, making it clear that you're not in a selling mood.
Look for a gun show near you, and ask for help from somebody who's displaying a collection of percussion Colts.
*Do not sell the gun to a dealer or at the gun show!* The guy who gives you information will be looking for another gun to add to his collection, so he'll "lowball" you about its value. So the next thing to do is to get a second opinion from somebody else, at another dealer, or the same gun show, or elsewhere. The more opinions you get, the more you'll learn.
Just as a guess, with nothing more to go on than your photos, I'd bet that it's a real Colt and that it's really old. The only thing that bothers me is that its rammer looks newer than the rest of the gun, so it may be a replacement.
But the only way to tell for sure is to consult as many experts as you can find. It may even be worth your while to pay for a professional appraisal.

I'm not an expert. I just have a well-stocked reference library.


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