5/25/2021 – Arms and Armor

.36 caliber, 7.5″ barrel, S/N 166532 (mfg. ca1863). Blued finish, color casehardened frame, silver plated brass backstrap and triggerguard, smooth one-piece varnished walnut grip. One-line New York barrel address, 6-shot cylinder with roll engraved naval battle scene. Strange serial numbering suggesting a tough day at the Colt factory. Frame numbered 166532 and cylinder arbor numbered 6532, with barrel, triggerguard and butt numbered 165532. Cylinder numbered 5592 and then 6532 below the original number, “force matching” the cylinder to the frame. Grip renumbered as well, marked 5532 in period ink numbering it to the backstrap, triggerguard and barrel, with the original number in the grip crossed out as well. Loading lever unnumbered, wedge completely mismatched and numbered 62132. An attractive Civil War period Colt Navy that suffers from bizarre numbering.