Manufactured between 1879 and 1885 by special order only, this Double Rifle is one of the rarest of all Colt firearms. The Colt Double Rifle was generally based on the Colt Model 1878 Shotgun and contemporary British double rifles and was chambered for the .45-70, .45-85 Express, 45-90 and .45-100 cartridges. The Double Rifles were not advertised by Colt and were apparently primarily specially made for friends of Caldwell Hart Colt. Total production is estimated to be about 40 of these rare rifles. The rifle has a Damascus finished barrel with blued rib, rear sight, barrel release lever and trigger guard. The lock plates, receiver, hammers, forend mount and buttplate are color casehardened. The stock and forend are select, highly figured walnut with a semi-gloss piano finish and fine checkering on the pistol grip and forend. The forend has a black horn, tip. A small, oval, German silver plate is inlaid in the stock behind the pistol grip. The lock plates, receiver, trigger guard, tang, hammers, lever, forend release and buttplate are engraved with double-line borders. The barrels have a wide, matted rib. The rib is fitted with Lyman "Hunting" front sight with colored bead and the distinctive factory rear sight with hinged leaf and round adjustment nut. The top of the rib is engraved with the legend: "COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U. S.A." in one line between the rear sight and the breech. A Lyman folding combination rear sight has been added to the stock behind the barrel release lever. "COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO., is hand engraved on the side of each lock plate. "No. 21" is hand engraved on the lower tang and "21" is stamped on the water table bottom of the right barrel and the inside of the forearm.

Excellent plus. The barrels retain 97% original brown finish. The bores are mirror bright. The high polish nitre blue finish on the rear sight, breech lever and trigger guard is 95% complete and shows very little wear. The hammers, side plates, receiver, forearm mounts and buttplate have vivid 98% case colors and sharp engraving. The front sight is a contemporary period replacement as is the Lyman tang sight. The highly figured stock and forearm are in excellent condition and retain close to 95% of the high polish piano finish and extremely sharp checkering. This is a great looking example of one of the rarest of all Colt firearms.