This early Colt Model 1860 Army was manufactured in 1860 and has the highly desirable early full fluted cylinder. While over 200,000 Army Model revolvers were manufactured, only around 4,000 were manufactured with fluted cylinders, making this variation especially desirable. Some were even shipped to the South before and at the very beginning of the Civil War. Of the small amount of these fluted cylinder revolvers made, most of them were no doubt heavily used during the war, making the condition of this surviving example particularly fine considering. It has a German silver blade front sight, "-ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW YORK U.S. AMERICA.-" on top of the barrel, "PATENTED SEPT. 10th 1860" in one of the cylinder flutes, worn numbers on the rear cylinder surfaces between the nipples with a "5" and "8" visible under light and magnification on a few of the surfaces indicating a matching cylinder, "COLTS/PATENT" on the left side of the frame, cut frame and back strap for use with a shoulder stock, an "L" on the left trigger guard shoulder, and all matching serial numbers including a properly hand-written number in black ink in the rear mortise of the grip. Blued barrel, cylinder and back strap, niter blued screws and trigger, casehardened loading lever, frame, and hammer, and brass trigger guard.

Very good plus, with the barrel and cylinder turned to a mottled brown patina and 30% original flaking blue finish down the back strap. 30% original case colors remain on the hammer, frame and loading lever with scattered brown patina. The grip is also fine with some light dents and scratches, and a small crack on the bottom surface of the right side. Mechanically excellent.