Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Herb Houze

       5B-021 Straightback Frame Type

5B-021

Values—Good $11,000

Fine $37,500

       Colt First Model Dragoon Revolver

      First Model Dragoon Revolver. Manufactured 1848 - c. 1850; total of about 7,000.

      44 caliber. 6-shot cylinder. 7-1/2" part round, part octagonal barrel.

      Grips of one piece walnut. Casehardened frame, hammer, and lever; the balance blued. Gripstraps standard of brass, silver plated for civilian sales, and left unfinished for the military.

      Serial numbered from about 1341 through about 8000, continuing the sequence from the Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon.

      Barrel marked: ADDRESS SAML COLT, NEW-YORK CITY -. COLT’S/PATENT on the left side of the frame; often accompanied by U.S. (on government purchased and issued specimens) centered beneath. Texas Ranger and Indian fight scene roll engraved on the cylinders. Cylinders also bear roll-engraved panel marking in large letters COLT’S PATENT accompanied by second panel MODEL U.S.M.R. (“U.S. Mounted Rifles”). A scarcer variant is marked U.S. DRAGOONS in place of the U.S.M.R. marks, and will add premium to value.

      Identifying features of the First Model are: Continuation of the square backed trigger guard, the cylinder stop slots oval, and the juncture of grips, gripstraps, and frame forming a straight vertical line. Early series pistols have some notable carryovers from the Whitneyville-Hartford Dragoon, while later specimens show improvements of evolution leading into the Second Model pistols. A few late First Models were cut to accept detachable shoulder stocks (all three types; see 5B-030/031/032/033); work and adaptation performed after guns were mfd.; very rare.

      Military issue First Model with government inspector markings on the grips and various metal parts:

       5B-022

5B-022

Values—Good $5,000

Fine $35,000

      Civilian First Model; varnished walnut grips and standard finish (U.S. often present on frame):

5B-023

Values—Good $5,000

Fine $30,000

       U.S. Walker Replacement Dragoon

      U.S. Walker Replacement Dragoon. Also known as the “pre-1st Model Dragoon” and the “Fluck” Dragoon (after the late John J. Fluck whose detailed research in 1956 first identified the gun as a distinct model). Manufactured in 1848.

      44 caliber. 6-shot cylinder; 7-1/2" part round/part octagon Colt Walker barrels that were re-worked by Colt factory to this shorter length.

      Closely resembling the First Model Colt Dragoon. Just 300 of these were made by Colt for the U.S. government to replace Colt Walkers that had burst or otherwise failed while in U.S. service. These revolvers were actually accepted by the U.S. as part of the 1,000 piece contract for Walkers. They utilize many original Walker and Walker-reworked parts by Colt.

      Serial number range approximately 2216 to approximately 2515; the numbers of the tiny Walker type.

      Finish: blued barrel with casehardened frame and loading lever; cylinder usually left bright. Cylinder has rolled engraved scene of Texas ranger and Indian fight and an identifying feature of this model is the pressure ridge (characteristic of rolled scenes on Walker cylinders) at the rear of the cylinder near the locking notches.

      The longer backstrap similar to the Walker makes for an unusual grip profile with the butt angling downward toward the rear. The trigger guard is from the Walker model, Colt factory reworked. Markings COLT’S/PATENT/U.S. are positioned towards the center of the left side of the frame. Specimens of this model show an uneven quality in workmanship and other features such as double stamped barrel markings and metal flaws. Inspector markings are: WAT (in oval cartouche) on right grip and JH (in oval) on left side; inspector mark P appears on various metal parts.

      Second only to the Whitneyville-Hartford in the limited quantity produced, this Walker replacement revolver is one of the ultra-desirable variations in Colt’s Dragoon series and among the first of Colt’s revolvers produced at Hartford for U.S. military issue:

       5B-024

5B-024

Values—Good $12,500

Fine (little or no finish) $37,500

      More recently, tentatively renamed “Colt’s Second Contract Dragoon” (not to be confused with “Second Model Dragoon.”) A 1998 detailed study “Observations on Colt’s Second Contract, Nov. 2, 1847” (see Bibliography this chapter) adds complication and controversy to this rare model. The authors have theoretically identified 1000 (rather than 300) of this enigmatic Colt, contracted in 1847 and delivered in four shipments, each with their own variations, in 1848. The four types appear in serial ranges 2001 through 3000. As the survey is conjectural and was based on examination of “...well over a dozen” specimens, which may be too small a number to draw definitive conclusions, and is yet to be tested in the market place. its acceptance and impact is untried. It certainly is worthy of taking into consideration. Articles published in the January and May 2004 issues of the Gun Report also take exception to the “Fluck” theory.

       Colt Second Model Dragoon Revolver

      Second Model Dragoon Revolver. In production c. 1850-51; total made about 2,700.

      44 caliber. 6-shot cylinder. 7-1/2" part round, part octagonal barrel.

      Grips of one piece walnut. Casehardened frame, hammer, and lever; the remainder blued. Gripstraps standard of brass, plated in silver for civilian sales, and left unfinished for the military.

      Serial range from about 8000 through about 10700, the sequence continuing from the First Model Dragoon.

      Barrel markings are two slight variations of: ADDRESS SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY. COLT’S/PATENT on the left side of the frame, with government issue revolvers having U.S. centered beneath. The Texas Ranger and Indian fight scene was roll engraved on the cylinders. U.S.M.R. cylinder markings most often encountered; U.S. DRAGOONS scarce and bring an added premium.

      Identification of the Second Model is quickly made by looking for the distinct combination of square-back trigger guard and rectangular cylinder stop slots. Subtle changes were appearing in the mainspring type, the hammer (adding a roller bearing), and the trigger guard width as seen from the front. Both vertical and horizontal loading lever latches were in evidence. As with the First Model Dragoon a few were later fitted (about a year after their manufacture) for all three variants of the attachable shoulder stock (see 5B-030 to 033). (Authentic specimens worth premium values).

      The Second Model is of greater scarcity