THIS 1860 ARMY REPRESENTS A HISTORICAL ERA IN AMERICA AND WITH THE U.S MILITARY FORCES, PRIMARILY THE WESTERN CAVALRY UNITS, POST CIVIL WAR INDIAN WARS DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THE WESTERN FRONTIER WAS FORGOTTEN, BECAUSE THE EASTERN CONFLICT HAD TO BE SESOLVED, ALL MEN AND EQUIPMENT STYAED THERE. THE PLAINS INDIAN TRIBES, USED THIS WEAKNESS TO GAIN A SUPERIUOR HAND IN TRIBAL TREATMENT IN THE WEST. THUE LAUNCED MILITARY ACTIONS, MET WITH LIMITED RESPONSE DUE TO LACVK OF MEN AND FIREARMS. ACTUALLY MANY TROOPERS WERE STILL USING A VARIETY OF WEAPONS: SINGLE AHOT ASTON PISTOLS, DIMINUTIVE ’49 POCKETS, NO.2 S&W’S, SOME ’51 NAVY RTEVOLVERS. NOT TO MENTION OUTDATED LONG ARMS.WHEN THE CIVIL WAR ENDED, THE US TURNED IT’S ATTENTION WEST, AND THE INDIAN ISSUES. MANY UNITS FOUND THEM SELVES LEAVING THE EAST, GOING WEST TO BADLY UNDER MANNED FORTS.WHAT THYE NEED WERE BETTER ARMS !!!!! NOW, NOT LATER. WHAT TO DO, THE ORDNANCE BOARD HAD A QUICK SOLUTION, CALL BACK ALL TYHE NOW NOT NEEDE 1860 .44 REVOLVERS. THEY SHIPPED THEM TO SPRINGFIELD ARSENAL, SOME TO LEAVENWORTH. REFURBISH THEM, RE-FINISH, REPLACE ALL BROKEN OR HIGHLY WORN PARTS, MAKE THEM LIKE NEW !! USE ALL 1860 PARTS, AND THE INVENTORY ON HAND OF REPLACEMENT PARTS WHICH HAD ACCUMULATED ON EACH GOVERNMENT ORDER FROM COLT OF 1860 REVOLVERS.THIS 1860 ARMY .44 COLT, IS A SPRINGFIELD ARMY RE-ISSUE. IT HAS THE VERY LARGE US STAMPED ON THE TRIGGER GUARD IN FRONT OF BOW, BELOW SERIAL NUMBER. THIS 1860 IS FURTHER INTERESTING FROM THE RESTORATION. ORIGINALLY THIS WAS AN 1861 PRODUCTION , ISSUED COLT., A THREE SCREW CUT FOR STOCK. THIS REVOLVER MUST HAVE SEEN HARD USE, AS THEONLY USED PARTS REMAINING FROM DAY ONE ARE THE WEDGE AND CYLINDER, NUMBER 11538. RIGHT NOW THE COLT IS UNIFORMLY SERIAL NUMBERED 8, AS THE FRAME, BARREL , BACK STRAP, WERE ALL BRAND NEW 1860 PARTS ASSEMBLED TO THIS COLT. ON THE CYLINDER 8 IS OVERSTAMPED ON THE OLD NUMBER THIS COLT WAS 99% REFURBISHED FOR SHIPPING WEST NOW IT IS SERIAL No.8 IT HAS THE ONE LINE N Y-AMERICAN BARREL ADDRESS AND COLT PATENT ON FRAME THIS REVOLVER HAS A DARKER GRAY PATINA, THE BRASS TG A MUSTARD PATINA THE GRIPS HAVE A SMOOTH HAND USE PATINA, WITH ONLY A CHIPPED CORNERON LEFT INSIDE GRIP. THE BUTT OF THE GRIPS SHOW IT WAS USED TO BANG SOMETHING, NOT SEVERLY, BUT VISIBLE SCREW HEADS HAVE CLEAN NON DAMAGED SLOTS. THE BEST PART: MECHANICALLY THIS REVOLVER IS 100% CORRECT, COCKING NOTCHES, LOCKING BACK, CYL;INDER ROTATION, INDEXING TIGHT LOCK UP, GOOD RELAESE TO FIURE THERE IS EVEN SOME CYLINDER SCENE REMAINING THIS IS AS I SAID 1005 WORKING ACTION CORRECT IN EVERY MANNER !!!!! ALONG WITH THIS SPRINGFIELD 1860 COME IT’S ORIGINAL US FLAP HOLSTER, BELT AND US BELT BUCKLE THE HOLSTER SHOWS WEAR, BUT STILL FLEXIBLE WITH NO, NO SIGNIFICANT DFAMAGE. IT IS SAFE TO SAY THIS COLT WENT TO THE 10TH CAVALRY, THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS, AS THYE WERE IN THE THICK OF THINGS, AND NEEDED THE COLTS. MAYBE, A FEW FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE 8TH CAVALRY, A NEW UNIT PUT TOIGETHER FOR THE XPRESS PURPOSE OF CHASING THE INDIANS AND ENGAGING THEM . ALL COLT COLLECTORS AND ENTHUSIAST ALL WISH A COLT SINGLE ACTION SAW ACTION, EVEN IF ISSUED TO CAVALRY UNITS. HOWEVER, IT IS ALMOST A 100% SUREITY THIS 1860 WAS IN ACTION ON THE WESTERN PLAINS, ENGAGED WITH PLAINS INDIANS. THINK ABOUT IT, THIS COLT FIRST SAW YEARS OF CONFLICT DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WHO KNOWS WHERE? THEN, RE-FURBISHED, ISSUED AND SAW ACTION ON THE PLAINS AGAINST INDIAN TRIBES. HOW MUCH MORE OF A HISTORIC AND HIGHLY COLLECTABLE COLT DOES IT GET ????
A GREAT COLTFOR ANY COLLECTION AND ANY COLLECTOR. it comes with several pages of details about this colt variation , it’s discovery and background as included in Charles Pate’s book on 1860 Army Revolvers
