Page 127 - Auction84-Book3
P. 127

Formerly of the William Ruger Collection
 LOT 3206
Exceptional, Incredibly Scarce, Documented Colt Deluxe Model 1855 Half Stock Sporting .36 Caliber Percussion Revolving Rifle Formerly of the William Ruger Collection - Serial no. 1419, 36 cal., 27 inch part octagon bbl., blue finish, highly figured checkered walnut stock. Revolving rifles, like revolving handguns, were designed as a remedy to the slow rate of fire and relatively long reload times of muzzle loading firearms. Unlike revolving handguns like Colt’s percussion revolvers and the pepperbox pistols by various markers, revolving rifles had serious issues including the fact that placing a hand ahead of the cylinder was extremely dangerous especially given chain fires, multiple cylinders igniting, were all too
common on Colt’s early firearms. Given these limitations and the expense
of these weapons, only 18,300 total revolving rifles were manufactured by Colt between 1855 and 1864 while hundreds of thousands of single-shot rifles and shotguns continued to dominate the military and commercial markets. Out of the 400 full and half stock Model 1855 Sporting Rifles in
.36 caliber Colt manufactured, this is one of only 150 with a 27 inch barrel (see R.L. Wilson’s “The Book of Colt Firearms,” page 182). The barrel is fitted with a German silver blade front sight and a replacement elevation screw adjustable notch rear sight. The top strap is marked “COLT’S PT./1856” and “ADDRESS COL. COLT/HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.”The 1850 patent date is stamped on one of the cylinder flutes. The serial number is stamped on the underside of the frame. A brass tipped wooden ramrod is housed under the barrel.
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