Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins
Very cool Byron. The angled screw retaining the cylinder base pin (as opposed to the later spring loaded pin) places its date of manufacture no later than 1892. That thing is worth a few pesos...
Be careful with it, though - Colt didn't approve these for smokeless powder until the early 20th century. Some folks think the angled screw identifies it as a "black powder frame", but early guns with the spring loaded push pin were not yet smokeless rated.
Which isn't a bad thing. My 7 1/2" Peacemaker has never been fired with anything but black powder. Lots of misinformation concerning what the original loads were (the article in the January American Rifleman goes over all of this), but I have had great success with the heaviest "civilian" load, a full 40 grains of black powder under a 255 grain bullet. These loads top 900 fps and shoot right to the sights at 50 yards. They shoot as well as, if not better than any smokeless load as well, at least for the first several cylinders, before the gun starts getting really fouled.
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You actually missed it.. it has a sn in the 39K range...it is probably 2nd year production.... our Poster here failed to show some pertinent infoin his pix...
The question becomes is the frame marked US, on the left grip panel is there an stamped govt cartouche, in this sn range an A for Ainsworth govt inspectors mark. The shorter barrel indicates that this would was cionverted from being a Calvary 7.5 B to an Artillery 5.5 B by Colt or Springfield from the late 1890's.
More over and here is what is IMPORTANT is if it is a US govt Colt, IT FITS IN THE CUSTER RANGE...you can check the known sn blocks to see if is likely...If it can be tied to the 7th Cav and Custer well...a new Porsche might be on your horizon..