The good news is this is a real Colt 1860 Army revolver made during the Civil War and it looks pretty good from about 10 feet away.  If all you want is an example for a fraction of what you'd have to pay for a decent one, this would make a great shadow-box display. Fixed up, it would also make a perfect gun for a re-enactor. 

However, from a collectible perspective, there is plenty of bad news to go around.  The gun looks fairly consistent as far as the parts are concerned but there are no matching numbers.  It could be that this was a post Civil War rebuild in which 1860's have mixed numbers...although these usually have a "US" stamped on the bottom of the triggerguard...this one doesn't.  The cylinder still has a serial number but there is no scene left or an address left on the barrel for that matter.  The outside of the gun has quite a bit of light pitting...most of it isn't especially bad...but the metal has a pin-point texture to it.  Well, sort of!  That was until some caring person decided to use a belt sander on both sides of the frame....I guess that did technically get rid of most of the pitting but it also destroyed the Colt's Patent marking in the process and left machine marks.  The screws are a mixed bag...some are replaced...others look original.  The rammer which attaches to the loading lever is a replacement as is the wedge.  The loading lever is original....that was a pleasant surprise as most guns in this condition don't have original levers...however, one of the ends that secures the catch is broken off.  The bore still has rifling and the front sight is original.  The action kind of works....it will cock and turn the cylinder but the hammer notches are worn and it cocks about where the half cock position should be...in fact..that's probably where it cocks...they just filed the tip off of the safety notch after the full cock notch wore down.  The grips are surprisingly good...they fit the metal very well and aren't chewed up.  There is a crack however on both sides that hasn't gone through but needs to be tended to.  There is also a little filler in the bottom where a Cavalryman once probably installed a lanyard ring....quite common on Civil War Colts. 

All in all, this is never going to be a collector's item but its the perfect gun for a shadow box or for a re-enactor who has a little time to fix it up.  It's a PROJECT but I think it will really improve aesthetically with some effort.  Its not very often you find an original Colt priced below some a few of the better replicas out there on the market.

Item# 0478

$625.00