Lot 2132

ANTIQUE 1ST YEAR U.S. COLT MODEL 1895 "NEW NAVY" D.A. .38 REVOLVER, NATHAN C. TWINING INSPECTOR WITH COLT FACTORY LETTER

Previous image preload Next image preload

ANTIQUE 1ST YEAR U.S. COLT MODEL 1895 "NEW NAVY" D.A. .38 REVOLVER, NATHAN C. TWINING INSPECTOR WITH COLT FACTORY LETTER

left to bid 21d 18h 28m left to bid (Bidding Extended) Lot is closed 21d 18h 28m left to bid Refresh page

Current Bid: $55

(6 Bids)

by Bradford's
June 28, 2026 9:00 AM MST
Timed Auction
15210 N 99th Ave
Sun City, AZ, US 85351

Antique 1st Year U.S. Colt Model 1895 "New Navy" D.A. .38 Revolver Nathan C. Twining Inspector with Colt Factory Letter. This Colt is not far from Teddy's in the 16,000 range and within 365 numbers of Roosevelt's. Both are early 1st year production Model 1895 Colts. The Colt Model 1895 "New Navy" revolver is an important piece of history in the evolution of the modern handgun. This revolver is sometimes called the D.A. 38 for a good reason: they are marked COLT. D.A. 38 on the side of the barrel, as they are a double action revolver chambered for the .38 Long Colt cartridge. There are many similar models of this handgun made by Colt: the Model 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896 and later the Model 1901 and 1903, which represent incremental improvements in the design. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army primarily used these models, though there were civilian models as well. This type of double action revolver represents a significant step in the evolution of the revolver, as it was Colt's first swing out cylinder revolver. It was both double and single action, it utilized the spring-loaded ejector rod, and the later models could fire the new (at the time) smokeless powder cartridges. All of these features appealed to the armed forces. The earlier D.A. 38 guns, such as the 1895, were designed to fire black powder cartridges only. The New Army & Navy model is unique to Colt in that the cylinder rotates counter-clockwise, and the frame's side plate is on the right side. This unfortunately tended to force the cylinder out of alignment with the frame over time, and this was exacerbated by relatively weak lockwork used to "time", or match individual chambers to the barrel. In later Colt revolvers the cylinder rotation is clockwise and the side plate is on the left side of the frame. Also these Colt's have extremely complex actions that get out of order or break easily. This is a nice "New Navy" issue example with military inspectors cartouches on the metal components, and a lovely set of COLT marked hard rubber grips, correct for a U.S. Navy Issued revolver. The serial number marked on the bottom of the grip is 16699, indicating production in 1895. The frame under the cylinder crane, the cylinder crane itself, the cylinder release, and the bottom of the barrel are all marked with assembly number 699. Only early production D.A. 38 revolvers had assembly numbers only on these parts, and later produced examples of this had the serial number, as it was found that the butt frame serial number wore off easily. The top of the barrel is still marked with the original manufacture and patent information: "COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A. PATENTED AUG.5.1884. NOV.6.88. MAR.5.95". This correctly has the 1895 patent date, granted for one of the incremental improvements made to the revolver. The bottom of the grip frame is correctly stamped: "38 D.A. / (PROOF) / 6105 / N C T / 16699". The initials "N C T" are for Lt. Nathan C. Twining, Inspector of Naval Ordnance in Hartford C.T., who was appointed to the position in 1895. He inspected roughly only 500 Colt M1895 .38 Revolvers. Serial Number: 16699 | Caliber / Gauge: .38 Long Colt | Working Order: Firearm has not been tested | Background Check: Not Required | Keywords: Firearms, Guns, Firearm; Ref: BD3301

  • Provenance: This revolver includes a Colt Factory Letter. The revolver was sold to the U.S. Government and shipped to Commandant of Navy Yard New York, New York on April 30, 1895 in a shipment of 350 guns.
  • Dimensions: 6" barrel
  • Circa: April 30, 1895
  • Notes: Perhaps the most famous Colt 1895 issued to the US Navy was the one Theodore Roosevelt used during the charges he made with the 1st USV Cavalry, a.k.a. "Rough Riders", up Kettle and San Juan Hills. So how did an officer in the US Army get his hands on a Navy issued Colt? Well, prior to joining the US Army, Roosevelt was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The Colt was given to Roosevelt by his brother-in-law who recovered it during salvage work on the USS Maine after it mysteriously exploded and sank in Havana Harbor. Roosevelt, who was anxious to get into the war brewing between the United States and Spain over Cuba, resigned his position with the Navy and joined the Army to help his friend Leonard Wood form the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry. As Leonard's XO in the 1st USV Cavalry, Roosevelt carried the 1895 recovered from the Maine with him to Cuba with the Rough Riders and used it to kill two Spanish soldiers during the ascent up San Juan Hill. For his actions that day, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001. If you look carefully at the photograph taken of Roosevelt and the Rough Riders standing under the American flag atop San Juan Hill, you'll notice Roosevelt is carrying a gun on his belt in what appears to be the standard US Navy flap holster. In contrast, the second soldier to Roosevelt's right has a standard US Army holster with the Army-style strap going over the handle of his Colt revolver. Roosevelt's Colt was serial number 16,334. In spite of being sunk once, helping win a future US President the Medal of Honor, stolen twice and recovered twice over the past half century, Roosevelt's famous Model 1895 is still in existence and kept on display at his home at Sagamore Hill, New York.
  • Condition: This revolver is in good condition with signs of normal wear commensurate with age and use. Approx. 70%-80% original finish retained. There are patches of contact and holster wear on leading edges and surfaces. There are light nicks, scuffs and scratches throughout. The screw heads are well-defined. The markings in the metal are clear. The bottom of the grip frame shows two holes that have been filled. The bore is semi-bright and clean with visible rifling, there is a small spots of speckling and wear. Please review the photo for details and condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

LOCAL PICK-UP INFORMATION:
Buyers can pick-up up their purchased lots locally at Bradford's Auction Gallery or have their items shipped. Local pick up is available upon payment of the invoice. There is no fee for local pickup however, storage fees may apply for items not picked up.

LOCATION: Bradford's Auction Gallery
HOURS: Monday - Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
ADDRESS: 15210 N 99th Ave Sun City, AZ 85351
CROSS STREET: (Located at the NW Corner of 99th Ave and Greenway Rd)

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING INFORMATION:

JEWELRY & COINS:
Domestic Invoices that only contain jewelry or coins will be shipped in-house. Bradford's will ship jewelry and coins domestically via fedex and usps flat rate shipping. A minimum shipping charge of $25 will apply for any items shipped in-house. Any invoices that contain additional items would be turned over to a 3rd party shipper.

ARTWORK & OTHER ITEMS:
For out of town buyers, once we have received your payment your purchase can be be turned over to a 3rd party shipper. Bradford's will automatically release your lots to Westside Mail Center a local 3rd party shipper who specializes in shipping auction lots. Westside Mail Center will reach out to you to arrange packing, shipping and insurance. Please notify Bradford's immediately upon payment of your invoice if you prefer to ship with another 3rd party shipper other than Westside Mail Center.

They offer FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS services for most parcels. For those larger items, Packing, Shipping, Crating & Freight services are available. For questions related to shipping please feel free to contact them directly for shipping questions or quotes.

Westside Mail Center
13794 W Waddell Rd Suite 203, Surprise, AZ 85379
Phone: 623-825-6016
Email: [email protected]
www.westsidemailcenter.com

SHIPPING TERMS
The winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping. All fees and costs associated with shipping are separate from the hammer price (winning bid), buyer's premium and sales taxes. The winning bidder / buyer has the right to arrange their own shipping with a 3rd party shipper at their own expense if you prefer to use a shipper other than Westside Mail Center. All packing and shipping from any company besides Westside Mail Center must be arranged and coordinated by the winning bidder / buyer within 5 days from the date of the sale or an additional storage surcharge could apply. The cost of an item can affect the price of insurance, packaging materials and method of shipping however, shipping costs are based on size, weight, dimension, location, speed as well as other factors. Winning bidders / buyers are responsible for payment of auction invoices regardless of the cost of shipping as the winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping and any costs associated. Sales are final and items cannot be returned to Bradford's or refunded due to shipping.

3RD PARTY SHIPPERS
Bradford's can assist the winning bidder / buyer by arranging shipping and insurance through a 3rd party shipper however, the buyer is responsible for obtaining quotes and scheduling pick-up. Bradford's Auction Gallery reserves the right to ship parcels via our own in-house shipping methods, based on actual weight or dimensional weight (whichever is greater).

Bradford's or the designated 3rd party shipper will ship to the address provided on the winning bidder / buyers invoice. It is the winning bidder / buyers responsibility to communicate with the shipper and provide any specific shipping requirements, address information or details that will ensure proper delivery. It is the buyers responsibility to verify and maintain update accurate shipping information including address within their bidding account.

The winning bidder is responsible for understanding the import fees and import laws of their respective province/state/country. It is also the bidder's responsibility to obtain any and all import documentation (import/export licenses, certificates or other documentation) prior to bidding.



LOCAL PICK UP - ARIZONA FIREARMS BUYERS
Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING FIREARMS BUYERS:
Shipping for Out-of-State Buyers must be done through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center. All firearms Post 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License on ALL Modern Weapons. The full cost of shipping and packing will be at the winning bidders / buyers expense. It is your responsibility to provide Westside Mail Center with the FFL dealer of your choice and they are responsible for sending the 3rd party shipper a copy of their FFL information. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE.

Bradford's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $199 $10
$200 $999 $20
$1,000 $4,999 $50
$5,000 $9,999 $100
$10,000 + $200