US INDIAN WARS COLT MODEL 1860 ARMY 9TH & 10TH CAV

Serial #122588. Barrel length 7 3/4". Caliber .44. Made in 1863. This is an example of an arsenal refurbished US M1860 Colt Army Revolver destined for the West for Indian Wars Service. The US Ordnance Department was only in possession of some 40,000 to 45,000 “serviceable” Colt M1860 Army revolvers at the conclusion of the war. They were rebuilt much like the Colt Cavalry Models sent to the Philippines. The main recipients of these rebuilt US Colts were the 9th & 10th Cavalry comprised of African-Americans and were known by the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers”. These newly formed regiments needed to be armed and equipped from stocks of weapons on hand, as the debt ridden US government was in no position to acquire new arms in the immediate post-Civil War period. In May of 1867, the Ordnance Department reported only 1,611 “serviceable” Colt Army revolvers available for issue, with an additional 5,454 in inventory that were in need of repair. In many cases the arms were reassembled using salvaged parts from other guns. Within the group of refurbished, “cleaned & repaired” Colt Army revolvers is a smaller sub-set of revolvers that is estimated to include between 1,000 and 1,500 guns that were marked U S on their trigger guards, in addition to showing the usual indications of an arsenal rebuild. These guns were rebuilt either at the St. Louis Arsenal or in Leavenworth. The guns almost all have barrels that are slightly short of full-length, typically between 1/8” and ¼” shorter than when new. Grips often fit poorly, no doubt due to being salvaged from other guns, thus not matching the grip frame contours of the gun they have been added to. By the end of 1870, the 9th & 10th the regiments were listing 243 in service. These guns appear to be drawn primarily from the group of “Cleaned & Refurbished” Colt revolvers that were stamped “US” on their trigger guards. As such, it appears that the 10th Cavalry received roughly 25% of these “US” marked “C&R” Colt M1860 Army revolvers, with the balance being used to fill out the revolver needs of other western cavalry regiments until they were replaced by the new cartridge revolvers the Colt M1873 Single Action Army and the Smith & Wesson “Schofield” pattern No3 American revolver. This is one such revolver that shows mis-matched number parts, shorter barrel, ill fitting one piece walnut grips, US stamped on brass trigger guard, steel back strap, rebated cylinder with no remaining scene, barrel address missing, Colt patent on left side of frame partially visible. Gun is a clean and smooth gun metal gray, grips are very good, action is tight and the bore has sharp rifling. A handsome and historic western revolver that was used during the Indian Wars, most likely by the Buffalo Soldiers who earned high regards during the Civil War, many of whom were veterans of that conflict. (A)