Lot 121

Serial Number 10 Fluted Cylinder Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver

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Serial Number 10 Fluted Cylinder Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver

Estimate: $8,500 - $13,000

Starting Bid: $7,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Extremely Scarce and Well-Documented "No-Patent" Two-Digit Serial Number "10" Fluted Cylinder Colt Model 1860 Army Percussion Revolver This very early Model 1860 Army revolver was manufactured in 1860 and has a variety of scarce features, including the absence of several of the standard markings, including the patent marking on the frame. The "No-Patent" revolvers, including this specific revolver, are discussed in detail in Charles Pate's "The Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver" on pages 74-79 where he explains that these were made to circumvent a ban on the Ordnance Department purchasing patented arms. Multiple photos of this revolver are shown on page 78. The distinctive six-shot, fluted cylinder that defines these early production revolvers is only marked with the serial number "10" on the rear next to one of the safety pins and has the early straight bored chambers which were later changed by Colt to a stronger tapered bore after reports of failures due to the thinness of the chamber walls at the stops. The barrel is 8 inches in length and has no barrel address. The unusual factory notch rear sight has a set screw. The left side of the loading lever arm and the bottom of the rammer are both marked with serial number "10", and matching serial numbers are also on the bottom edge of the wedge, bottom of the barrel lug, frame, trigger guard, and back strap. Some of the zeros have been stamped over a "1" marking. "10" is handwritten in the rear mortise of the grip. Assembly number "3" is marked between the pin holes on the barrel lug and the pins on the frame. The frame is marked with a "G" on the recoil shield on the left and is cut for a shoulder stock and is in "four-screw" configuration. The grip straps were made by modifying Model 1851 Navy components with extensions to fit the longer "Army" grip indicating the machinery was not fully prepared for production of the Army length grip frames when this revolver was manufactured. Pate notes, "While the no-patent pistols cannot be considered prototypes of the NMA [Model 1860 Army] proper, given that production had already begun when the former were made, they perhaps can be considered prototypes of the NMA grip." This revolver was manufactured on the eve of the Civil War during the turbulent presidential election year of 1860. Tensions between the northern and southern states had been building for decades but accelerated that year over the issue of slavery and its expansion into territories in the West. When Republican Abraham Lincoln emerged the victor with nearly 40% of the popular vote and 180 of the electors despite not even being on the ticket in ten southern states, secession movements accelerated, and South Carolina became the first of the southern states to secede, doing so on December 2, 1860. Additional states in the South soon followed prior to Lincoln taking office setting the stage for armed conflict. During this tense period, Samuel Colt continued to market his arms to both the federal government and the South. Chief among the arms he marketed was his new "Army" revolver introduced in 1860, and many of the revolvers manufactured that year and in early 1861 were shipped south of the Mason-Dixon Line, some even after the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: 1860 Army

BBL: 8 inch round

Gauge: .44

Finish: blue/casehardened

Grips: walnut

Serial Number10

Class: Antique

  • Provenance: The Fred Barton Collection
  • Condition: Very good overall with mottled gray and brown patina, light pitting, aged patina on the brass, and moderate wear, including some small chips and edge wear on the grip. The loading lever catch is missing a spring; otherwise, the revolver is mechanically excellent.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000