What model was this pre-1854 "large colt's revolver with no stopper for the cock to rest on // the old fashioned kind brass mounted"?

A point was brought to my attention that since the epitaph was reported in 1854, it couldn't have been a Confederate pistol, for reasons that are rather obvious once recognized.

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RaiderCat_12@reddit

Then just a brass-framed unlicensed Colt 1851 Navy copy

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Begle1@reddit (OP)

But did the Confederate 1851 Navy have a stopper for the cock to rest on?

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RaiderCat_12@reddit

Depends on the definition of “stopper”. All cap-and-ball Colts from the Walker onwards had a notch inbetween the chambers so you could let your hammer rest there and carry them fully loaded.

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WalrusPriest@reddit

On the confederate model they just call the cock stopper a Sherman.

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User_225846@reddit

Maybe it's not actually a Colt, they just used Colt as a generic name for a pistol. Like certain people now refer to their HiPoints and Taurus' all as Glocks

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lettelsnek@reddit

saying that assumes the average writer in the 1850’s knew the correct name for each part of the revolver. they definitely could’ve just called the grip frame the frame

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FeedbackOther5215@reddit

That’s exactly why I suggested an 1851…because they would have colloquially referred to it as the frame…I don’t know how I could have been more clear here.

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The “large” makes me think Walker, but those were a lot rarer than media would have folks believe. It could also refer to caliber, since by 1854 the Navy Colt was extremely popular, in a “small” .36 caliber. The Dragoon was in .44 (larger than .36), and had brass. The back of the cylinder also lacked the later pegs to prevent the c-, uh, hammer from hitting a live capped chamber if the cylinder rotated slightly.

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PandorasFlame1@reddit

The Colt Paterson (predecessor of the Walker) also only sold small numbers. It was very rare to sell large numbers of the same handgun unless it was famous, by military contract, or cheap. The Patterson, despite being well known, still only sold around 2200 units, merely double that of the Walker. The vast majority of both contracts were for the military with a small amount for civilian sale (100 in the case of the Walker).

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Radar1980@reddit

Yeah that’s why I think it’s a dragoon- “large”, plentiful (comparatively), and no “stopper”

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Begle1@reddit (OP)

Sounds convincing to me.

Visible brass on the gun. Wasn't the most-recent gun at the time so could be "old-fashioned" (it wasn't an 1851 Navy at least). A large gun by any measure. And a Colt.

I'll take your word that it didn't have the cock stoppers. Seems like it'd be pretty dangerous without them.

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Radar1980@reddit

Here’s a good pic of a dragoon cylinder for reference. https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/UNIQUE_MARTIALLY_INSPECTED_COLT_1ST_MODEL_DRAGOON_-LOT473788.aspx

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Babelfiisk@reddit

I'm curious what percentage of overall sales/carried guns that would be. 2200 units is small by modern standards, but if there were only 20 or 30 thousand pistols in circulation it would be a success.

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DrChoom@reddit

Lol he said the cock

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1here4memes@reddit

shot...with a cock...

sounds like your mom Beavis

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DrChoom@reddit

Definitionally everyone's mom

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Global_Theme864@reddit

Pretty much all the pre-1854 models had brass grip frames except the Patterson.

They did have pins between the percussion nipples that the hammer could rest on that would theoretically stop the cylinder from rotating to a position where there was a cap under the hammer, which I think is what he’s talking about. They did break off pretty easy though. And the Walker only had one where the later ones had six.

The Paterson actually didn’t have them and would certainly make sense as the “old fashioned” model in 1854 but it wasn’t brass mounted. “Large” could more readily refer to a Walker though.

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