As a Civil War staple and a favorite frontier gun of countless pioneers, outlaws, lawmen, and Texas Rangers, the Colt 1851 Navy revolver made its mark on America and beyond. Combining power and portability, Colt's "Revolving Belt Pistol" became one of the best-selling guns of the 19th century and helped usher in the age of the gunfighter.

Rock Island Auction Company features some of the rarest and most historic examples of the Colt 1851 Navy.

A historic royal presentation cased pair of factory deluxe engraved Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers presented by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy to General Alessandro Negri di Sanfront.

Road to the Colt Navy Revolver

The Colt Dragoon corrected some of the issues with the Walker and helped Colt establish his factory in Hartford, Connecticut in 1848. Where the Dragoon was a six-shot, .44 caliber revolver, a smaller variant was produced that became known as the "Baby" Dragoon. These pocket revolvers reduced the cylinder count to five and the ball to .31 caliber.

A historic cased Colt First Model Dragoon revolver inscribed as presented to General Franklin Pierce, later 14th U.S. President.

The .31 caliber Colt 1849 Pocket replaced the Baby Dragoon in 1850. Refinements included a round trigger guard and square cylinder stops and pins. The diminutive 1849 Pocket became Colt's most successful 19th century revolver with sales figures exceeding 340,000. Where the 1849 Pocket brilliantly filled the role of a concealable close-quarters option, its sized-up sibling, the six-round Colt 1851 Navy, offered Samuel Colt a platform to pursue lucrative military contracts.

A cased, master engraved, and silver plated Colt Model 1849 Pocket revolver with an antique raised relief ivory grip.

The 1851 Colt Navy Revolving Belt Pistol

Initially referred to the "Revolving Belt Pistol" and the "Ranger Model," the Colt Model 1851 revolver would quickly adopt a "Navy" designation. The model's .36 caliber offered a middle-ground between the .31 caliber 1849 Pocket and the mighty .44 caliber Dragoon saddle holster pistol, where a moderately sized "belt pistol" would be a more attractive option to a sailor.

Pictured below, Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver, serial number 537, is an early production example that was manufactured in 1850. This First Model 1851 Navy revolver features a square back trigger guard, an early style barrel with a non-beveled loading cut out, and is one of only around 800 of its kind manufactured with the barrel wedge positioned over the screw.

A rare early production three-digit serial number 537 First Model "Wedge Over Screw" Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver.

The U.S. Navy purchased their first 100 Colt Navy revolvers in June 1852. Though comparatively rare, Colt issued numerous 1851 "Navy-Navies," referencing Model 1851 revolvers inspected by the U.S. Navy. The example pictured below, serial number 90744, is one of the final group of 600 Colt M1851 Navy revolvers delivered to the United States Navy in September 1859 and features a large rounded trigger guard, a recoil shield with no capping channel, and a blued iron trigger guard and back strap.

In '51 Navies' by Nathan L. Swayze, the author writes, "Most of the guns in this range were Navy-Navies. The only martial markings in this group were the small "U.S." stamped on the frame under the Colt Patent stamping, and they did not have the "U.S.N." stamping, Naval Officer inspector's initials, or the anchor stamping that were found on the early Navy-Navies in the Late Third Model serial number range 55500/62000."

A scarce Colt U.S. Navy contract Model 1851 revolver for sale with an iron trigger guard and backstrap. Author Nathan L. Swayze wrote that Navy revolvers in this serial number range "are frequently referred to as "black Navies" because of their overall dark appearance."

Where the Colt Model 1851 revolvers produced for the U.S. Navy featured iron backstraps and trigger guards, the revolvers purchased by the U.S. Army were manufactured in the standard configuration with brass backstraps and trigger guards. Government-purchased Colt Navy revolvers are stamped "US" on the left frame beneath the Colt Patent markings.

The early Model 1851 Navy pictured below was manufactured in 1851 with the distinctive combination of the wedge under the screw and the squareback trigger guard that differentiates the Second Model from the other variations. For many collectors, this is the most attractive variation of the Colt Navy revolver and one of the most popular of all percussion Colt variations.

An exceptional cased Colt Second Model 1851 Navy revolver with a squareback trigger guard.

The U.S. Army accepted the Model 1851 Navy revolver in early 1855. Nearly 17,000 were delivered to the Ordnance Department over the next three years, with many fielded by mounted troops during the early Plains Wars. The Colt Navy became a popular sidearm with militia, early police departments, and civilians as well.

The Colt 1851 Navy flourished throughout the 1850s. During a tour of the American Southwest in 1856, journalist and social critic Frederick Law Olmsted reported "There are probably in Texas about as many [Navy] revolvers as male adults, and I doubt if there are one hundred in the state of any other make."

An 1863 manufactured, factory engraved Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver for sale with a relief carved Mexican Eagle grip.

The 1851 Colt Navy Revolver Overseas

As Samuel Colt's fortunes rose in the domestic market, the tireless entrepreneur also explored opportunities overseas, with a particular eye on the United Kingdom. Colt displayed his Navy revolver at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Interest proved great enough that Samuel Colt invested in a London factory and hoped to establish strong markets in England, France, Russia, and beyond.

A presentation cased Colt London Model 1851 Navy revolver.

The extraordinary cased set pictured below dates to 1855 within Colt’s London factory Model 1851 Navy serial number range and fall within the same serial number range as the Navy revolvers Samuel Colt had his company present to then Emperor of France Napoleon III.

The similar engraving between the example below and the set presented to the French Emperor suggests that Colt had his London factory prepare a group of special presentation grade revolvers starting around serial number 21900 in 1855.

The deluxe rosewood brass cornered presentation case features the crest of the House of Savoy on the central lid escutcheon and “DONO DI S. M. IL RE V. E. AL GENERALE DI SANFRONT” inscribed below indicating presentation of this extraordinary pair of Colt 1851 Navy revolvers by King Victor Emanuel II of Italy to General Alessandro Negri di Sanfront.

Colt presented these lavish revolvers with an eye toward European military contracts and hoped to eventually open another factory in Continental Europe. However, despite modest production success at his London factory, operating expenses and growing competition from European competitors made profit elusive. 1856 would mark the untimely end for Colt's London venture, with more than 42,000 Navy revolvers produced from this location.

Colt's most significant English competitor during this period was the Adams line of double action percussion revolvers. Patented in 1851, the .44 caliber Adams revolver packed more punch than the 1851 Navy and could be fired more rapidly. Both features made the Adams an attractive option for British officers during the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny. Lieutenant Frederick E. B. Beaumont patented an improvement to the Adams revolver in 1856 that was soon adopted by the British army.

A Deane & Sons retailer marked Beaumont-Adams double action percussion revolver.

Colt and his associates engaged in frequent legal action to prevent European gunmakers from counterfeiting his design and importing these copies into the United States. Belgium and Russia were among the most prolific manufacturers of Colt Navy clones. During the Civil War, Confederate gunmakers produced several revolvers based on the Colt 1851 Navy, including the Griswold & Gunniso, Leech & Rigdon, and Dance & Brothers.

A rare Civil War Confederate Texas Dance & Brothers revolver.

The Colt Navy in the Civil War

More than 50 Union regiments were issued Colt 1851 Navy revolvers during the Civil War, with about 35,000 purchased by the Union military during the conflict. The 1851 Navy was extremely popular in the South as well, who continued to purchase the reliable revolver in quantity until pressure from the Northern media caused Samuel Colt to end such shipments in April of 1861.

A spectacular cased early factory engraved Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver passed down through the family of prominent Southern Episcopal priest Francis L. Hawks and Captain Francis T. Hawks of the Confederate Engineer Corps.

Many officers on both sides of the conflict carried a Colt 1851 Navy, including Robert E. Lee, whose engraved revolver is displayed in the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Engraved or specially inscribed Colt revolvers were often purchased as gifts or presentation pieces for officers, enlisted men, and even volunteers being honored by their community.

An exceptional factory engraved Colt Model 1851 revolver dated to 1863, during the middle of the American Civil War. The cased revolver features allegorical figures on the barrel and a raised relief patriotic eagle motif carved on the antique ivory grip.

While standard Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers typically were manufactured with a 7 1/2 inch octagon barrel, Colt produced an experimental prototype during the Civil War with a 6 1/2 inch round barrel. Bearing serial number 167907, this revolver was made in 1863 in a likely attempt likely attempt to produce a more wieldy sidearm that has the ability to smoothly slide in and out of a holster.

A documented Colt experimental prototype Model 1851 Navy revolver with a 6 1/2 inch round barrel, formerly of the Colt Factory Collection housed at the Connecticut State Library.

In 'The Book of Colt Firearms' by Sutherland and R. L. Wilson, the example is discussed along with two similar prototypes, with the authors noting, "The serial number ranges of this rare variation were #167900, #174000 and #186000. A specimen with relief carved select walnut grips, serial #174064, is in the Connecticut State Library collection."

A Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver prototype with a 6 1/2 inch round barrel.

The Colt 1860 Army

While the Colt 1851 Navy served as an efficient medium sized pistol during the Civil War, Colt developed a revolver suited to a .44 caliber conical bullet, the Model 1860 Army. Based on the same frame as its 1851 Navy counterpart, the 1860 Army employs a longer, rebated cylinder, a larger cylinder pin, and a shorter forcing cone on the barrel.

An outstanding Civil War U.S. contract Colt Model 1860 Army revolver with a factory letter and skin pack.

The Colt Model 1860 Army became the primary issued revolver of the Civil War, with nearly 130,000 purchased by the U.S. Ordnance Department before a factory fire in February 1864. More than 200,000 revolvers were manufactured in total between 1860 and 1871.

An exceptional Civil War era Colt Model 1860 Army revolver.

The Colt 1861 Navy

The Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver, officially called the "New Model Navy or Belt pistol," represented a streamlined version of its 1851 predecessor. Though produced in only a fraction of the number of its Army counterpart, the Colt 1861 Navy was still a prevalent Civil War revolver, with many being privately purchased by troops. Out of the 38,864 Colt 1861 Navy revolvers produced, fewer than 1,300 are estimated to still survive, with high-condition examples being exceedingly scarce.

A presentation cased deluxe factory engraved Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver for sale.

Both the Colt 1860 Army and 1861 Navy feature the Battle of Campeche roll engraving and share many other similarities. Differences include the Army's large grips, more rounded lines, and its .44 caliber compared to the 1861 Navy's .36 caliber. Additionally, the Army's barrel is 8 inches as opposed to the Navy's 7 1/2 inch length.

After U.S. Contract Walker Colt revolvers, U.S. Contract 1861 Navy revolvers are the rarest U.S. martial Colt percussion handguns. The exceptional example below was part of a 2,000 gun contract with the U.S. Ordnance Department, signed on April 13, 1861. Although the Ordnance Department subsequently purchased 363 additional Model 1861 Navy revolvers from Colt distributors, the 2,000 pistols purchased under the April 1861 contract were the only Ordnance inspected, military finished Model 1861 Navy revolvers manufactured by Colt during the Civil War.

A Colt Model 1861 Navy revolver inscribed to "J.B. Rockhill."

Legacy of the Colt Navy Revolver

The Colt 1851 Navy remained a popular revolver after the Civil War. Some were used by early police departments, and the Colt Navy saw extensive use out West with outlaws, Texas Rangers, and frontier lawmen like Wild Bill Hickok, who famously carried a pair of engraved Navies with ivory grips.

Production of the Colt 1851 Navy continued until 1873. With more than 215,000 produced in the United States and 42,000 in London, the 1851 Navy became the second most produced Colt percussion revolver. In its final years, sales slowed to a trickle as new revolver models designed for self-contained ammunition and cartridge conversion options were introduced.

An exceptional Colt Model 1851 U.S. Navy inspected Richards-Mason conversion centerfire revolver sold for $7,638 in RIAC's December 2024 Premier Auction.

From 'Gangs of New York,' 'Gettysburg,' 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,' and more, the Colt 1851 Navy revolver has made numerous film appearances over the decades. Though it has become a fairly popular black powder reproduction revolver, original examples are valuable with collectors today. Pictured below is a Colt Navy that merges original condition with the contemporary engraving talent of Colt master Steve Kamyk.

A Civil War era Colt 1851 Navy with contemporary engraving and gold inlay attributed to Steve Kamyk.

Colt Navy Revolver for Sale

From the Civil War battlefield to the frontier streets of the Old West, the Colt 1851 Navy revolver saw plenty of action throughout its 22-year production run. Owning one of these iconic sixguns is an aspiration of every Colt collector and 19th century arms enthusiast, and some of the rarest and high condition examples can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

This exceptional Colt 1851 Navy revolver, the only known example with gold plated grip straps, came out of The Greg Lampe Collection and sold in 2023 for $352,500.

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This Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver was manufactured in 1863 and has the "I" suffix stamped above and below the main serial numbers on the barrel and frame used to indicate a special order grip like the one-piece factory checkered grip found on this revolver. It may have been special ordered by or for a Union Army officer, as the Model 1851 Navy was the standard sidearm of the period.