What is this exactly?

[kotkinjs1]

Hi all,
This was listed as a Colt Navy. It's obviously not. What does it look like though? Does it seem legit? Thanks!

7892789178937894

[Francis J. Miller Jr, 02601]

It looks like an 1851 Colt Navy, but all the ones I have seen have an octagon barrel, not a round barrel...

[kotkinjs1]

And this has a brass frame.

[Francis J. Miller Jr, 02601]

It looks to be a steel frame with a brass trigger guard and brass back strap... Both frame & barrel have matching serial number. Like I mentioned before,
all the ones I have seen have an octagon barrel, not a round barrel. Other than that, it may be a Confederate Griswold and Gunnison revolver...

[Francis J. Miller Jr, 02601]

Found this Information:
Nearly identical to the more famous Colt revolvers in looks and design, the Griswold & Gunnison .36 caliber percussion revolver had some brass parts, since steel was more difficult to procure, owing to the supply problems caused by the war, and had an octagonal barrel that tapered to a round shape at the end of the muzzle. They were also known to have used twisted iron for the barrel. The Navy Colt had an octagonal barrel . In some of the Confederate revolvers, what appears to be brass may be actually be steel, with a high copper content, giving it a brassy look. Griswold & Gunnison had to make do with whatever materials they could lay their hands on..

[John Holland]

Herb is correct about the pattern of a Confederate Griswold & Gunnison. I have no idea if it is real, or a fake.

[Muley Gil]

You can check the frame with a small magnet.

[Carolina Reb]

If you can take out a screw, check for metric threads. The other sure sign of a fake is machining marks on the screw heads. A "Griswold" in similar condition came in to a local shop not long ago. The owner was quite upset when the threads turned out to be metric.

[WBR10654]

I am not a metallurgist but I was reading about those giant machines that turn cars in to flakes of metal.

If I remember correctly the reason the US used to have so many old cars all over the place was because they were not that easy to process and that it was very important not to get copper in the steel because it weakened it, I assume it really depend on application.

The invention of these Car-Shredders fix that because they are able to use magnets to separate the iron base metal from the rest.

Just a fun fact... or not...




Found this Information:
Nearly identical to the more famous Colt revolvers in looks and design, the Griswold & Gunnison .36 caliber percussion revolver had some brass parts, since steel was more difficult to procure, owing to the supply problems caused by the war, and had an octagonal barrel that tapered to a round shape at the end of the muzzle. They were also known to have used twisted iron for the barrel. The Navy Colt had an octagonal barrel . In some of the Confederate revolvers, what appears to be brass may be actually be steel, with a high copper content, giving it a brassy look. Griswold & Gunnison had to make do with whatever materials they could lay their hands on..

[kotkinjs1]

You can check the frame with a small magnet.

Just checked. The frame is not magnetic. The barrel, cylinder, etc are but not the frame.