This is an extraordinary Colt Revolving Shotgun that was manufactured between 1860 and 1863. The large frame shotgun has a .75 caliber (10 gauge), round barrel and five-shot cylinder. The barrel and cylinder have a blue finish and the loading lever, frame, hammer, trigger guard and buttplate have a color casehardened finish. The stock and forearm are select well-figured walnut with a varnish finish. The stock wrist is checkered and the forearm has a nickel-silver end cap and wedge escutcheons. The barrel has a nickel-silver front sight bead and the frame top strap has a sighting groove. The barrel has an under-rib that supports two ramrod pipes and is fitted with a gutta percha cleaning rod with brass head and tip. The top strap is roll-stamped: "COL. COLT HARTFORD CT.U.S.A." in the sighting groove. The left side of the frame is roll-stamped: "COLT'S PATENT" in an arch above "NOV. 24th 1857". "PATENTED SEPT. 10th 1850" is stamped in one cylinder flute. The serial number, "857" is stamped on the underside of the frame and on the toe of the buttplate. Colt manufactured approximately 600 Revolving Shotguns in .75 caliber. High condition examples like this shotgun are scarce.

Very fine. The shotgun retains 70% of the original blue and 75% of the rich, vibrant casehardened finish. The blue finish on the barrel is mostly a mottled plum brown and has some small spots of age discoloration along the edges of the under-rib. The cylinder retains most of the original high polish blue finish with some wear on the forward edges of the chambers. The percussion nipples show only traces of flash pitting. The case colors on the frame, loading lever, hammer, trigger guard and buttplate have drifted slightly but still exhibit at least 90% of the casehardened finish. The markings on the frame and cylinder are crisp. The stock and forearm are excellent. Nearly all of the original varnish finish remains and the highly figured walnut shows only very minor handling and storage wear. The action is tight and functions perfectly. This is a very fine example of an extremely rare special order Deluxe Colt 10 Gauge Revolving Shotgun that would be difficult to improve upon.