Gustave Young List Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver

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  Lot #3207  (Sale Order: 208 of 749) 
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Documented Factory Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Percussion Revolver Listed on the Master Engraver Gustave Young's Billing List from September 23, 1854

This revolver was featured in the article "A Sleeper: Old Model Pocket Pistol Serial #91157" by Robert G. Smith in the November 1992 issue of "The Gun Report" in which Smith discusses the difficulty of finding a six inch barreled Model 1849 Pocket with an original antique ivory grip for his collection, purchasing the revolver from William M. Locke, and later discovering that the revolver is listed in the 6 inch column of Gustave Young's list September 23, 1854, listing of revolvers engraved in his shop. This list has been published in multiple books by R.L. Wilson, including "Samuel Colt Presents" as noted in the article. This revolver provides insight into the important years of the 1850s when engraving styles at Colt were changing over to the Germanic style brought over to the U.S. by recent immigrants. Per research by Herbert Houze in "Colt Factory Engravers of the Nineteenth Century," Young moved to Hartford sometime after his return to the U.S. on June 4, 1853, and he is believed to have become Colt's primary engraving contractor after that position was created in 1855 and remained in that position until making a return visit to Germany starting in the summer of 1858 and returned to working for Colt in 1861, established his own engraving shop in 1864, and moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, in late 1869 and became the primary engraver for Colt's competitor: Smith & Wesson. The revolver features complex and finely detailed scroll and floral engraving with textured backgrounds, "Saml Colt" inscribed in script with a decorative engraved border rather than an address on the top of the barrel, "COLTS/PATENT" engraved on the left side of the frame in a panel among the scrolls, shell/fan motifs on the bottom of the barrel lug and top of the back strap, the wolf/dog head motif on the hammer, and some crosshatched panels by the serial numbers on the barrel lug and frame. The factory dot marking used to denote special finishing is marked above or below the serial numbers along the bottom of the revolver. All of the visible serial numbers match, but the back strap is a replacement renumbered to match. The five-shot cylinder has the classic stagecoach scene.

Class: Antique

Very good with mostly silver-gray patina on the iron, mild pitting at the breech and cylinder, 90% plus original silver plating on the grip frame, aged patina on the silver and brass, and general mild overall wear suggesting this revolver was actually carried and used as a sidearm in the mid-19th century. The back strap is professionally re-numbered to match the rest of the revolver. The grip is fine and has aged patina, age cracks, and attractive grain. Mechanically excellent. This is a scarce documented Colt Model 1849 Pocket listed by serial number on Gustave Young's billing list to Colt on September 23, 1854.

Provenance: The William M. Locke Collection; The Robert G. Smith Collection

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This item is part of Premier Firearms Auction - Day 3
 Sunday, May 19, 2024 | 9:00 AM  Central
 
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Gustave Young List Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver
Gustave Young List Engraved Colt Model 1849 Pocket Revolver
Lot number: 3207
Seller: Rock Island Auction Company
Event: Premier Firearms Auction - Day 3
Ends: Sunday, May 19 | 9:00 AM  Central

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