Colt Navy 1866

[IanS]

I've recently seen a Colt Navy which carries an inscription on the back strap. The inscription gives the rank of Capt., the officer's name and his regiment. He was in the 95th Regiment of Foot (Derbyshire Regiment), and served in the Crimea. In 1857 he left the Regiment after being promoted to Colonel and Commanding Officer. He then joined the Grenadier Guards and retired in 1872 when he was enrolled into the Yeoman of the Guard.
I was very interested in purchasing the gun but it just isn't right as it's serial number shows it having been made in 1866 and he was at that time in a different regiment with the rank of Colonel.
From a photo, the inscription looks of the period and appears to have been applied at the time. The gun has all matching numbers and the back strap hasn't been over stamped.
If the inscription is of the period, he must have owned the gun but it's still puzzling.
Your comments would be appreciated.
Ian.

Information

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[Patrick Chadwick]

"If the inscription is of the period, he must have owned the gun..."

Not true, but fakers love people who believe stamps. Stamps are so much easier to fake than the original artefacts! If I stamp your name on the strap of my original 1865-built Remington 1858 New Army, that does not prove that you owned it way back in 1865.

Do not forget that, in those days, officers were expected to purchase their own sidearms and so the marking with name, rank and regiment was a private matter, not something applied by a regimental armorer. The inscription could have been applied at any time.

Friendly interpretation: The owner - or his descendants - may have had the inscription applied later, as a memento of his previous service. Done way back in the 19th century, when the old revolver had no antique value, this would have been understandable, although misleading for us today

Less friendly interpretation: There are such things as outright faked family heirlooms. Get hold of an old revolver, have it engraved, stick it in the display case and impress the neighbours: "That's Grandad's old revolver from the Crimea." If the engraving was done long enough ago, no-one now can tell exactly when it was done - except that it must have been after the gun was made!

[browningautorifle]

it just isn't right as it's serial number shows it having been made in 1866 and he was at that time in a different regiment with the rank of Colonel.

You answered your own question. It ain't right.

[IanS]

Thanks for the reply guys.
The only other explanation I can come up with is he lost or damaged his original when in the Grenadiers and on replacing it, had the original inscription put on, I'd love to believe it!!!
Ian.

[IanS]

Forgot to include the serial number, which is 191346.
Ian.

[browningautorifle]

Those backstraps can be removed and replaced with the removal of three screws, correct? That's all that happened. Cannibalised revolver.

[IanS]

Hi Jim,
the gun is all matching numbers and the back strap hasn't been over stamped. I don't think it would have come off another gun, I wondered if the back strap had been fitted from the original but it would have carried the old number and I'm advised that the number present looks old and original. I think if somebody was being clever and trying to gain a monetary advantage, they would have picked a gun whose serial number fitted the Crimea dates. If the price was right, I'd buy it but not before I gave it a damned good inspection.
Ian.

[Aragorn243]

A possibility is that the revolver was presented to him by members of his previous unit during some sort of reunion. Thus explaining the lower rank. They would have purchased the revolver and inscribed it with the information as correct at the time he commanded them.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Thanks Aragorn, that is basically along the same lines as my previous post: "The owner - or his descendants - may have had the inscription applied later, as a memento of his previous service. Done way back in the 19th century, when the old revolver had no antique value, this would have been understandable, although misleading for us today". I.e. at the time the intention was not to defraud, but to create a keepsake.


It seems that you and I and IanS are basically in tune on this revolver - it's not a fraudulent fake, but we will never know who initiated the commemorative marking - family, friends, former comrades, maybe all together for some special occasion!

[Patrick Chadwick]

"If the price was right, I'd buy it but not before I gave it a damned good inspection."


Do just that! How often are you going to come across an original Colt Navy with a connection to a known serviceman, even if the connection seems to be as a presentation weapon or memento made years after the period of service?