Guns International #: 102688008
Seller's Inventory #: 233579
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Guns International #: 102688008
AVENGING ANGEL COLT 1862 POLICE Revolver BELLY GUN Snubby .36 c1865 Antique Orrin Porter Rockwell, Dallas Stoudenmire
Description: AVENGING ANGEL COLT 1862 POLICE Revolver BELLY GUN Snubby .36 c1865 Antique Orrin Porter Rockwell, Dallas Stoudenmire Here we present an antique Colt Model 1862 Police Avenging Angel Revolver, made in 1865 in Hartford, Connecticut. Its introduction was an attempt to fill a niche in the market for a pocket revolver suited for civilians and police of a larger caliber (.36) than the 1849 Pocket Revolver (.31). Much as the Colt 1851 Navy was a scaled-up version of the 1849 Pocket, the 1862 Police was a scaled down version of the 1861 Navy, which was a scaled down version of the 1860 Army. The result was a sleek, stylish and light, 5-shot pocket revolver in .36 caliber. This revolver is a fantastic example of how some of these from-the-factory, full-sized .44s and .36s were customized to their owner’s specifications by themselves or by local gunsmiths. Obviously, a longer barrel is well suited to horseback cavalry, but in a day when reloading required several steps it was far easier to simply draw another gun. Cartridge guns were available for smaller calibers such as .32 and .22 Rimfire, and some percussion Colts and Remingtons were converted to cartridges such as .44 Henry, but, in general, handguns and especially revolvers were not available in sizeable cartridges (.36, .38, .44 etc.) until Smith & Wesson (1870) and then Colt (1873) and Remington (1875) began producing their single actions in the early-1870s, becoming widespread and more common by the 1880s. Some call these shortened guns “snub-noses”, some call them “belly guns” (think 19th Century appendix carry) and some call them “avenging angels”. The last title is quite an interesting one, considering its Mormon roots. Brigham Young’s personal bodyguard, Orrin Porter Rockwell, was a mountain man, U.S. Marshall, and fearsome gunfighter famously carried several revolvers like this on his person at any given time, and he wasn’t the only one. Another famous gunfighter and Texas Ranger, Dallas Stoudenmire, was known to carry and use a shortened Colt 1860 Army. Original guns modified during the period of use are hard to come by and especially in this kind of condition. If a person was going through the trouble to do this, they generally used that gun or guns pretty hard. Collectors today largely view the Model 1862 Police as the climax of the development of the percussion revolver. Unfortunately for Colt, the commercial market for the 1862 Police was overshadowed by cartridge revolvers. As a result, production was quite limited by Colt’s standards with approximately only 28,000 manufactured between 1862 and 1873. And, of those that were produced, it is estimated that 70% of these were converted to cartridge firearms. The overall condition is very good. Gray patina throughout. The action is excellent. The bore is in good condition with strong rifling. The grip is solid. The numbers match throughout. The conversion to a belly gun for this one involved the barrel being shortened, a nice front sight added via dovetail, and the aperture for the loading lever being filled in. A nice gun with good firepower in a smaller package! Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction. Barrel is 2 inches. Caliber: .36 Percussion Overall condition as seen in photos. Very Fast. Very Safe. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE. Delivered directly to your door by express mail! Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY. ancestryguns $3200 #233579 Price: $3,200.00 Buy Now Antique: Yes Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102688008
Seller's Inventory #: 233579
Guns International #: 102688008
Seller's Inventory #: 233579