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[Iron Horse]

Hi all,  is there a good source of information about original colt cases,  who made them and where, why are some worth big money and some not, how to tell an English from an American made case. that sort of thing.

[Jaxenro]

As far as I know the Colt factory made them in Hartford and London. Like anything else price is a factor of condition, rarity, etc. There are a lot more single 1849 cases around then double Dragoon cases for instance (just like there are a lot more 1849's than Dragoon's). Provenence and original ownersip also count in the pricing. Then there are the even more rare specials used in Colt presentations.

London cases look different usually the compartments are lidded, often they are maple or oak and the US ones are often walnut or mahogany. The fittings are a little different as well.

Look in the London section there are exmples of the London cases and spread throughout the various Colt sections are lots of American made ones. If you spend an hour or so looking at the pics you will get a good idea of the differences.

[Iron Horse]

I picked this up recently. I want to make it right

[mike116]

No doubt that is a custom or at least custom order presentation case.  Looks like a high end model with premium hardware.  I can't help any but it seems to me that Marathon Douglas may be a business or organization name and S.J. Harris an individual.   
Nice find.  I'd love to run across something like that. 

[Jaxenro]

Nice could you email me the photos. The brass looks really close to the ones on a case I saw a few months back at the Springfield Armory Museum. It was a high end Colt presentation set to, if I remember correctly, the general in charge of ordnance during the civil war

[Jaxenro]

You might want to cross reference it with this and see if there is a correlation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_Independent_Battery_Indiana_Light_Artillery

Captain Samuel J. Harris signed a telegram that is online as S J Harris. Be interesting to see if this is the one

[Iron Horse]

As far as I know the Colt factory made them in Hartford and London.

So they were mostly made in house ? I'd wondered about that, often thought they would have been farmed out.

[Jaxenro]

From what I understand made in house. What gun does it fit? Looking at the pics the brass seems a dead ringer for the one at Springfield Armory which had a pair of 1860 Army's

[Iron Horse]

pretty sure it is for a '62 police, Prolly 6 1\2 barrel, I don't have one (yet) but my "49 is a tiny bit tight where the loading leaver is hinged. Its quite a small box and in rather poor condition inside.

[Iron Horse]

Just found this


Richmond Dispatch. Saturday morning....July 6, 1861
 
 
Main street
; Thos. Randolph, do.; Sam Davis, slave of Frederick Hefleg, was whipped for throwing stones in the street; Jerry Ryan, drunk, and trespassing on the York River Railroad premises, admonished and discharged; Terrence Helligan, accused of aiding another party in taking S. J. Harris' pistol, was acquitted; Dan Johnson, a stranger and old toper, committed for indiscretion in the line of his profession.

[mike116]

Very interesting.  The pistol may have been stolen from the case you now own.  Maybe a little more digging will turn up waht kind of pistol it was or other useful info.  This could be a good lead.

[swathdiver]

pretty sure it is for a '62 police, Prolly 6 1\2 barrel, I don't have one (yet) but my "49 is a tiny bit tight where the loading leaver is hinged. Its quite a small box and in rather poor condition inside.

Could you kindly post a readable picture of the cleaning directions?  Would love to see what was recommended back then!

[Iron Horse]

Glad to

[swathdiver]

Thanks!

I learned two things:  Colt called the cones nippples back then and second, was thorough on how to take the revolver apart but vague on actual cleaning.  Pretty cool.