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****SOLD****1860's Civil War Period L.W. Pond Single Action Pocket/Belt Revolver in .32 Rimfire ** Rare "Manuf'd for Smith & Wesson" Guns International #: 101868989 Seller's Inventory #: CBP20-247 Category: Antique Revolvers - Cartridge - Smith & Wesson Revolvers Seller's Information When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com Seller: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc. Company: Antique & Modern Firearms, Inc. Member Since: 4/27/15 State: Kentucky Zip: 40503 Country: United States Phone: (859) 276-1419 Fax: (859) 278-0838 Platinum Seller Number of Active Listings: 191 Total Number of Listings: 14860 Seller: FFL Dealer Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns. Payment Types Accepted: Visa,Master Card, Discover,Check Description: This is a very cool, all-original, and rare revolver made by the Lucius W. Pond firm in Worchester, Mass. that has some neat ties to the famous Smith & Wesson company.  In 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War L.W. Pond introduced their Single Action Pocket or Belt Revolver in .32 Rimfire.  This single-action cartridge revolver featured a 4", 5", or 6" inch octagon barrel, a 6-shot cylinder, a spur trigger, and a square butt grip frame with a small flathead screwdriver threaded into the butt.  The design of the revolver was unique in that it was hinged at the rear of the topstrap and folded back on top of itself to access the rear of the cylinder for loading and unloading.  A spring-loaded catch just ahead of the trigger locked the two halves together.  This rear-loading design was a direct infringement on the Rollin White patent that Smith & Wesson held, and as a consequence the L.W. Pond firm was sued by Smith & Wesson.  Smith & Wesson won the case, and the manufacture of Pond's revolver was brought to a court-ordered halt.  At the time of the halt, there were a little more than 4,000 of the revolvers in the plant at varying degrees of completion.  A deal was struck by Pond to complete these guns and pay Smith & Wesson a royalty with the condition that Smith & Wesson's name would be stamped on the gun in addition to the L.W. Pond marking.  These guns were marked on the left upper side of the octagon barrel "Manu'd For Smith & Wesson Pat'd April 5,1855".  Once these were completed, there would be more of this model made.  This example is one of those guns and is serial number 3746.  It is a later production (mid-1860's) all-iron frame gun with a 4" inch barrel, the small push-button frame latch, and smooth American Walnut grips.  There is no way to determine whether it was used in the American Civil War but it certainly was made during that period. The gun has a very nice even gray patina on all of the metal parts with no bad pitting or eyesores.  All of the screws have nice slots and the fitment between parts is excellent.  The factory stampings on the barrel as well as the serial numbers are clear and legible.  All of the serial numbered parts are matching including the frame, barrel, cylinder pin, Rosewood grips(serial # in pencil on right side panel), mainspring, hammer, trigger, and sideplate (the last three are only visible with the sideplate removed). The bolt stop seems to have an assembly number on it that does not match the serial number, as it certainly appears to have been fitted into this gun since before it left the factory.  The bore is in average to good condition for it's age, showing nice rifling throughout but with patches of light pitting.  The 6 chambers of the cylinder are all clean and free of imperfections or damage.  The original Rosewood grips on this Pond are in beautiful shape, with both sides free from any cracks, chips, repairs, or major dings/damage.  Both grip panels are perfectly fit to the gun and tight to the frame with zero wiggle.  The original varnish is still fully intact on both grips, and as mentioned earlier, the right grip panel is numbered to the gun in pencil (correct for this gun).  The brass handled factory screwdriver is still in-place and in great shape with a clean blade and perfect threads.  The action on this Pond revolver is rock-solid, smooth, and perfectly "in time".  The cylinder lock-up rivals guns 1/4 of it's age with zero felt play.  The hammer has just two positions, all the way down or full-cock, just as it did when it left the factory.  The spur trigger works great, breaking with a light pull, and all of the other controls on this neat revolver are in perfect working order. This revolver is in such excellent mechanical shape that if they still made the ammunition for it we would not hesitate to shoot it!  Whether you are an antique arms collector, Civil War collector, Smith & Wesson collector, or just appreciate unique  this L.W. Pond Single Action Pocket/Belt Revolver would be an excellent addition to your collection.  This revolver has all kinds of historical value from so many angles, it really is an amazing piece of history.                SOLD Antique: Yes Handgun Caliber: .32 Rimfire Manufacturer: L.W. Pond Model: Single Action Pocket / Belt Revolver Serial Number: 3746 Barrel Length: 4" Inches Condition: Good Metal Condition: Good Bore Condition: Average / Good Action: Single Action Revolver Manufacture Date: 1860's