Samuel Colt was a genius, but honestly, he was also a bit of a lucky salesman. By 1850, his company wasn't exactly the global powerhouse we think of today. Then came the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver. It changed everything. This wasn't just another firearm; it was a sleek, balanced piece of industrial art that defined an era of expansion, violence, and mechanical transition.
Most people see a "Navy" revolver and assume it was built for the sea. It wasn't. The name actually comes from the engraving on the cylinder, which depicts the Second Battle of Campeche. Colt wanted to honor the Texas Navy. It’s a .36 caliber weapon, which, by the standards of the day, was considered "belt-sized." You could actually carry it without your pants falling down, unlike the massive 4-pound Dragoon models that preceded it.
What Actually Made the 1851 Navy Special?
Balance. If you pick up a modern replica or, if you're lucky, an original 1851, the first thing you notice is how it points. It feels like an extension of your hand. The octagonal barrel adds just enough weight to the front to steady your aim, but the slim grip—which stayed almost identical on the later Single Action Army—tucks perfectly into the palm.
Mechanically, it was a cap and ball system. You loaded loose powder, a lead ball, and a percussion cap for each of the six chambers. It was slow. It was messy. But in 1851? It was the height of technology. You had six shots at your disposal when most of the world was still fiddling with single-shot pistols.
Wild Bill Hickok famously stuck with his pair of ivory-handled 1851 Navies long after cartridge conversions and more "modern" guns were available. Why? Because he trusted them. He knew exactly where those .36 caliber balls would land. Reliability in the mid-19th century was a literal life-and-death metric, and the 1851 had it in spades.
The Myth of the "Small" Caliber
There is a weirdly persistent argument in gun forums today that the .36 caliber was "weak." That’s mostly hindsight talking. Sure, compared to a .45 ACP or a .357 Magnum, it lacks punch. However, back then, getting shot with a lead ball that flattened out upon impact was usually a death sentence, if not from the internal damage, then certainly from the inevitable infection.
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The 1851 Navy fired a ball weighing roughly 80 grains at about 700 to 900 feet per second. It was effective. It was lethal. And because the recoil was so manageable, shooters could actually hit what they were aiming at. That’s a detail many people overlook. A gun you can't hit anything with is just a very expensive paperweight.
Technical Quirks and Field Use
Operating an Colt 1851 Navy Revolver is a tactile experience that makes you appreciate modern engineering. You have to half-cock the hammer to let the cylinder spin. Then you pour your black powder. You place the ball. You use the attached loading lever—a hinged rammer under the barrel—to seat the ball firmly against the powder.
If you didn't shave a small ring of lead off the ball during this process, your ball was too small. That’s a dangerous mistake. It could lead to a "chain fire," where the spark from one chamber ignites the others simultaneously. Imagine all six chambers going off at once in your hand. Not fun.
- The Cylinder Scene: The naval battle scene wasn't just for looks. It was a roll-engraved security feature. If the scene was crisp, you knew the metal hadn't been tampered with or poorly refinished.
- The Sight System: The rear sight is literally a notch in the hammer. You can only see your sights when the gun is fully cocked. It’s a primitive system that requires the shooter to "learn" their specific gun’s point of impact.
- The Take-Down: To clean it—which you had to do constantly because black powder is incredibly corrosive—you tap out a wedge in the frame. The whole thing comes apart into three main pieces: the frame, the cylinder, and the barrel assembly.
The Civil War and the London Expansion
When the American Civil War broke out, the 1851 Navy was everywhere. It was a favorite of officers on both sides. Robert E. Lee carried one. So did many of the men under his command, though the South often had to rely on "clones" made by companies like Griswold & Gunnison because of the Union blockade. These Confederate versions used brass frames because steel was in short supply. If you find a brass-framed 1851 today, it’s either a rare Confederate piece or a common modern Italian reproduction.
Samuel Colt was also a pioneer of global manufacturing. He opened a factory in London—the only one he ever established outside the U.S. The "London Navies" are a specific subset of these revolvers that collectors go crazy for. They tend to have a higher level of fit and finish, usually featuring steel trigger guards and backstraps instead of the brass found on the Hartford, Connecticut models.
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Why Modern Collectors are Still Buying Them
You can go out today and buy a brand-new 1851 Navy. Companies like Uberti and Pietta in Italy have made a massive business out of recreating these guns. They are popular with Cowboy Action Shooters and black powder enthusiasts who want to feel that historical "thump" and smell the sulfuric cloud of black powder smoke.
But the market for originals? That’s where things get intense. A standard, "honest" 1851 Navy with a bit of patina might set you back $2,000 to $4,000. If it has a rare barrel length, original ivory grips, or a documented history to a specific soldier, that price climbs into the tens of thousands.
Identifying a Real 1851 Navy
If you’re hunting for one at an estate sale or an auction, you’ve got to be careful. The market is flooded with fakes and "parts guns." First, check the serial numbers. They should match on the frame, the barrel, the cylinder, the trigger guard, and the backstrap.
Look at the "Colts Patent" stamp on the frame. On originals, the lettering is often slightly uneven because it was struck by hand. Modern lasers make things too perfect. Also, look at the screws. If the slots are all chewed up, someone who didn't know what they were doing has been inside that gun with a hardware-store screwdriver. That's a huge red flag.
The Cultural Shadow of the .36 Caliber
Think about the Westerns you watched growing up. Most of the "fast draw" stuff is historically inaccurate, but the guns usually look right. The 1851 Navy appears in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Eli Wallach’s character, Tuco, famously assembles his own revolver from several others in a gun shop—a scene that captures the modular nature of the 1851 design.
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It represents a specific moment in time. It's the bridge between the single-shot flintlock era and the metallic cartridge era. It’s a tool of the frontier. Whether it was tucked into the belt of a California gold miner or holstered on a Union cavalryman, it was the "everyman's" sidearm.
Maintenance is Not Optional
If you decide to actually shoot one—either a reproduction or a shootable original—you have to realize that you are signing up for a lot of work. Black powder residue attracts moisture. If you don't clean the gun within a few hours of shooting, it will start to rust. You basically have to give the gun a bath in hot, soapy water.
Most modern shooters use "bore butter" or other natural lubricants to keep the black powder fouling soft. If the fouling gets hard, the cylinder will stop turning. It’s a finicky, temperamental machine, but that’s part of the charm. It forces you to slow down and actually understand the mechanics of what’s happening inside the frame.
Actionable Steps for New Enthusiasts
If the history of the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver has hooked you, don't just go out and drop five grand on an antique immediately. Start by handling a reproduction.
- Visit a Black Powder Club: Most ranges have a "muzzleloader" day. People there love to show off their gear. You’ll likely find someone with an 1851 who will let you put a few rounds through it.
- Buy a Reference Book: Before buying an original, get your hands on Colt's Pocket '49 It's Evolution or similar works by Robert M. Jordan or Nathan L. Swayze. These are the bibles for identifying variations and avoiding fakes.
- Check the Laws: In many jurisdictions, black powder revolvers are not legally considered "firearms" and can be shipped directly to your door. However, some states (looking at you, New Jersey) treat them exactly like a modern Glock. Check your local statutes.
- Decide: Shooter or Investment?: If you want to hear it go bang, buy a Pietta or Uberti for $350. If you want a piece of history that will appreciate in value, save up for a "grey" gun—an original with no original finish but all original parts.
The 1851 Navy is more than just steel and wood. It's a mechanical record of the 1850s. It’s the gun that proved Samuel Colt’s vision of interchangeable parts and mass production could actually work. Even 170 years later, its silhouette is unmistakable. It remains the most handsome revolver ever made, and for many of us, that's reason enough to keep the legend alive.