THIS .44 COLT FIRST MODEL .44 DRAGOON IS VERY, VERY EARLY COLT HISTORY. FIRST CAME THE PATERSON REVOLVERS, THEN 1847 THE WALKER. THEN THIS REVOLVER, 1st MODEL DRAGOON IN .44 IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE DRAGOON SERIES, 1st, 2nd AND 3rd. IT HAS ALL THE EARLY FEATURES CIRCULAR BOLT STOPS ON THE CYLINDER, SQUARE BACK TRIGGER GUARD. i BELIEVE THIS DRAGOON SAW SERVICE DURING THE WAR WITH MEXICO WHY? THE FRAME SERIAL No. IS 1817, BACK STRAP IS 1817. HOWEVER, THE CYLINDER IS 2145, A CLOSE NUMBER DIFFERENCE TO 1817. THE BARREL IS No.2335. ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE EARLY 1st DRAGOONS, SHIPPED TO THE DRAGOONS IN THE FIELD/WAR WITH MEXICO. FIRST SHIPMENTS TO THE FIELD. i THEORIZE, SINCE AS THE DRAGOON IS TOTALLY MATCHING IN FINISH AND WEAR USE. THESE WERE BATTLE FIELD REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR BROKEN OR FAILED PARTS. PERHAPS EVEN ARSENAL REPAIR, AND THERE WAS NO BACKLOG OF PARTS, SO! PARTS FROM OTHER 1st DRAGOONS WERE USED, CREATING AS MANY SERVICEABLE DRAGOONS AS POSSIBLE. IN FACT THE INSPECTOR “G” APPEARS ON THE BRASS TRIGGER GUARD.CURRENTLY THERE IS ABOUT 15-20% BLUE REMAINING ON BARREL AND LOADING LEVER. CASE COLOR HARDENING IS FADED BUT THERE ARE MANY “PUDDLES” OF COLOR REMAINING ON FRAME. AMAZING ! THRE IS A SUBSTANCIAL AMOUNT OF ORIGINAL CYLINDER SCENE. THE ACID ETCHED “COLTS PATENT” IS VERY CLEAR AS IS THE “USMR” ETCHED PANEL. ON THE BALANCE OF THE CYLINDER YOU CAN SEE THE MOUNTED DRAGOONS AND INDIAN LANCE ETC..MAYBE 30%. THE INDIAN FIGHT SCENE. PLUS THE Wm. ORMSBY ROLL LINE. MECHANICALLY IT FUNCTION 100% ON ALL WORKING ACTIONS, TIGHT AND EXACT IN THE ACTIONS. LOCKS TIGHT INDEXES, JUST A GREAT WORKING ACTION. THE ORIGINAL WALNUT GRIPS ARE DAMAGE FREE AND HAVE THAT SOFT PATINA ONLY YEARS OF HAND TOUHES CAN CREATE. THE BRASS HAS THE SOFT “MUSTARD” PATINA, ALL CORRECT. YES, THERE ARE A FEW BATTLE FIELD REPLACEMENTS, BUT, BUT ALL ORIIGNAL PARTS OF THE SAME PERIOD WITH A FEW NUMBERS OF EACH OTHER. THIS IS A FIRST DRAGOON!! AND WITH WHAT YOU HAVE THIS IS A FABULOUS DREAGOON. CYLINDER SCENE ON A FIRST, SELDOM SEEN UNLESS A DRAGOON THAT DID NOTHING, THIS IS A “I WAS THERE” DRAGOON IN 1848. WITH A MOUNTED DRAGOON IN THE MILITARY. NO TIME MACHINE, BUT LIVING HISTORY IN YOUR HAND!
