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**RARE**NUMBER 4574 OF ONE OF ONLY APPROX 6000**ALL MATCHING NUMBERS INCLUDING CYLINDER**C1864 Metropolitan Arms Co New York USA (Colt M1851 Navy) .36 Naval Calibre, 6 Shot Single Action Cap & Ball Percussion Revolver. Sn 22643:7 - 22643:7 In the past, little was definitively known about the Metropolitan Arms Company of New York but is has long been hypothesized by arms historians that the firm was established to take advantage of the massive fire that took place at the Colt Patent Firearms factory in February of 1864. With Colt’s production capacity severely curtailed, there was a perceived opening in the civilian percussion revolver market. It has been further hypothesized that New York gunmaker Orison Blunt was behind the company and relied on the Metropolitan Arms Company to continue production. The impetus for the establishment of the Metropolitan Arms Company was the Colt fire. In fact, the five-person consortium of gunmakers and investors who intended to take immediate advantage of the situation were in business only three weeks after the fire and included the well-known New York gunmakers William J and Samuel R Syms. The pair had previously been in business with Orison Blunt as Blunt & Syms and it is quite likely that Blunt was also involved with the group, although he was not officially listed as “partner”. This is further supported by the fact that the Metropolitan Arms Company took up residence in a building owned by Blunt. The other partners were John S McChesney, John J Serrel and Charles B Hart. The newly established Metropolitan Arms Company stepped into the void left by the Colt fire by bringing three models to market, all of which were essentially near copies and same quality as current production Colt products. The primary product was a copy of the Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver. The secondary product was a copy of the Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver, and the final product was a variation on the Model 1851, which essentially a copy of the Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver. None of the guns were produced in great numbers and the Model 1851 type revolver is scarce gun on the collector market today. Between the formation of the company in 1864 and when they went out of business circa 1867 it is estimated that a total of 8,900 revolvers were produced. Of these roughly 6,100 were of the “1851 Navy” pattern, about 2,750 of the “1862 Police” pattern and about 50 were of the extremely rare “1861 Navy” pattern. Interestingly all were .36 calibre guns, and no other calibres were produced.
The demise of the company has been hypothesized as being the result of the metallic cartridge, which made percussion arms obsolete. This is a very good rare to find 7 ½” barrel version of the Manhattan (Colt Navy M 1851) .36 Naval Calibre, 6 shot percussion revolver with captive drop down loading lever. The barrel’s bore has just light staining consistent with age and use and has well defined rifling. The metal work is undamaged, has even patina with original blue finish faded to grey in areas and some light holster wear. It has a brass grip frame. The top of the barrel is signed ‘Metropolitan Arms Co New York'. The cylinder has faint original etched Naval engagement scene as found on Colt Navy revolvers. The pistol's steel frame, barrel block, butt of the brass grip frame, trigger guard assembly and cylinder have all matching numbers ‘4574’ of approx. only 6000. The pistol has a small brass blade fore sight and ‘v’ notch hammer rear sight. It has its original undamaged American Walnut grip in excellent condition. The pistol's loading and single action firing mechanisms work crisply. The price for this rare Civil War Era pistol includes UK delivery. NB As an antique cap and ball revolver, no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 22643:7
£2,750.00
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