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Item No.:	10204	Price :	SOLD
Item :	RARE COLT REVOLVING MODEL 1855 MILITARY RIFLE, .56 CALIBER

Description :

This is an original Civil War era Colt Revolving Rifle. This is the Military Rifle with a 31" full-stocked barrel. It has sling swivels and a bayonet mount for the sword bayonet. This rifle does not have U.S. markings. The Model 1855 is a 5-shot, percussion revolving rifle of .56 caliber. This was the first type rifle issued to the United States Sharpshooters before they received their Sharps Breechloaders. Colt produced only 9,310 of these rifles between 1856 and 1864. The rifles were not well received by the units that got them. The natural tendency to grip the fore stock with the left hand resulted in injury from hot gasses and lead shavings from the cylinder/barrel gap. A chain fire might even result in the loss of the left hand. Still, it did provide the shooter with five quick shots without reloading, a marked advantage over the single shot rifle muskets of the time. With the low production number and the hard use they received, very few have survived in decent condition. This rifle is in fine condition with about 85% of its factory blued finish remaining on the barrel. The frame retains about 10-20% of its blue in protected areas. The remainder has a mostly smooth dark brown patina. There is some pitting in areas exposed to the corrosive flash from percussion caps. This is the area around the percussion nipples, the top strap, and the barrel forcing cone. The remainder of the cylinder has a smooth dark brown patina. The trigger guard has a lighter brown smooth patina. The hammer and loading lever have a dark brown patina with no case colors visible. The butt plate has 80% blue that is turning brown. Mechanically, the hammer will cock properly but the cylinder fails to turn. It can be rotated if you ease the hammer back a bit and turn it by hand. The bore is surprisingly good. There are a few tiny pits, but the rifling is strong and mostly smooth along the barrel's length. The stock is in fine condition. There are a few old scrapes on the left side of the forearm between the barrel bands. The rifle retains its button-tip cleaning rod. A Colt revolving rifle is a rare and desirable addition to any collection.

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