The Colt-Burgess rifles and carbines were only manufactured from July 1883 to November 1884, and production totaled just 6,403. They were very well-designed and certainly worthy contenders for the Winchester Model 1873, and in some ways was actually a better gun than any Winchester then had on the market, but they did not reach the sales levels of Winchester's already popular repeater. It has long been rumored that representatives from Colt and Winchester came to an agreement that Winchester would not release a revolver to compete against Colt if Colt backed out of the lever action market. It may also be that Colt was instead switching to the new Colt Lightning slide action rifles which came out in early 1884 and the company may have thought had more hope of displacing Winchester's dominance of the American repeating rifle market. The factory letter indicates this rifle and seven others with 25 1/2 inch barrels, blue finish, and wood stock in .44-40 as shipped to J.C. Grubb & Co. in Philadelphia, P.A., on March 12, 1884. The remarks also note the "subject rifle was furnished with a part-round/part-octagon barrel. Only 35 of the 2,556 Burgess rifles had part octagon barrels. Also includes a printed copy of a John P. Lovell's Sons advertisement for Burgess rifles offered "At Less than Cost to Manufacture." The rifle has a blade front sight, adjustable sporting rear sight, "COLT'S PT. F.A. M.F.G. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A." over the patent dates on top of the barrel, the Rampant Colt trademark on the left side of the frame, and smooth stock and forearm with steel cap and buttplate.

Very good with 25% of original blue finish on the barrel and magazine tube, 30% original blue on the frame, gray and brown patina on the balance, mild scratches and marks, some slight spotting, and general mild wear concentrated in the raised areas. The stock and forearm are also fine and have hand-worn surfaces, mild scrapes and dings, some small chips at the corners of the wrist, and some bruising near the heel. Mechanically fine.