Inherited 2 great revolvers - Colt 1873 and Remington 1858

Winchester_73 · April 30, 2012, 11:10 PM

A week ago I went to visit a Great Uncle of mine. He had sold me a lot of his guns in the past, because he wanted someone to enjoy them in the family as much as he did. He never had any kids himself. Most of his guns were quality (he sold me a Colt Combat Commander, Diamondback, Woodsman Match Target and the Midrange Wadcutter National Match in addition to several others) and he also gave me a few guns. I remember first hearing of my Uncle (my dad's mom's brother) when I was about 12. My dad would tell me how great the guns he had were, "Your Uncle Les has a heavy barrel woodsman (the match target that I later got. He ironically bought it from my dad who bought it brand new in the early 70s), a Colt Buntline, a long barrel luger with a shoulder stock, and a Colt 38 wadcutter."

As years passed, I got into guns as those before me. Me and Les then began talking and bothering with each other more. At my grandmother's funeral, he offered to sell me some 22 rifles he had. A month or so later, I went over to buy them. He showed me his whole collection, which I had never saw all of it before. After he showed me most everything he had, I asked him "didn't you have a luger too", he replies, "ya I sold that to a guy I knew from the mill". My heart sank and still to this day, I shiver when I see an artillery luger. Its just one of those things that's hard to get over. I never imagined he would sell it because he didn't need the money, and he inherited it himself, but that's life for you. He told me that he didn't know I liked it, and he also is one of those guys that doesn't care about military arms, instead he likes commercial ones. He felt his best guns were the colts, and he wanted me to have them, which meant a lot to me and still does. After I bought the 22s, he later sold me the above mentioned handguns, and a Sako 78 HB 22. He kept a SAA 2nd gen buntline, and a 1858 Remington, telling me someday he would give them to me. He had been so generous to me already, I never bothered him about it. Once in a while I would offer to buy them, and then he would say "no I will give them to you". I wondered when or if he would. Those 2 guns were special to me, because he inherited them himself from my Great Grandfather Valenti. Valenti, some 50 yrs ago had a friend known as "Buzzarella" who would give him guns. He gave my great grandfather the following: 2nd gen buntline, Remington 1858 revolver, CZ 27 rig, artillery luger with shoulder stock, Winchester 94 32 WSL, Savage 99 300 sav, Colt Officers Model 22, and perhaps 1 or 2 others. While those are not the most valuable guns in the world, it was a nice gesture back in the 1950s. Les gave me the CZ 27, sold a friend of his the luger, gave his brother the OM, gave his other nephews the Winchester and Savage and so there were not many of these "Buzarella guns" as I call them left.

On Saturday 4/21, I stopped by to visit Les and see some rifles another guy had for sale. The other guy was too high on his prices, so we went back to Les's house, and he gave me the Buntline 45 and the Remington 1858. I didn't know what to say. The Buntline is a 2nd issue/type per Garton (SN 26XXXSA) and the Remington appears to be a New Model 1863 variant of the 1858. These guns have been in my family for some 50 years or more. He also gave me a nice Colt Trooper 357 box, for one with 4in barrel, a target hammer and target stocks. I of course don't have that exact gun, I instead have a 38 trooper 4 in with target hammer and standard stocks and a model 357 4in with target hammer and target stocks but I'm not complaining. I thought I would share this great acquisition with my TFL brothers. I know many of you have had similiar things happen to you, and there is nothing quite like it.

Pictured below are some of the newest additions to my collection. As you would expect, these guns will stay in my family. I have a son and daughter who will hopefully treasure this stuff the way I do.

Winchester_73 · April 30, 2012, 11:12 PM

The Remington may have been restored unfortunately. I wonder if it was done by an armorer / arsenal or done by a private person. The barrel also appears to not match the rest of the gun. The SN is 85XXX. The trigger guard and cylinder do match as do the grips. There are many single letter inspection marks on the gun as well as the cartouche on the grips which is so unreal that it survived. It works perfect and the bore is basically mint. Its a neat gun.

If anyone has info about the refinish or the barrel's number, please let me know.

Not bad looking for being about 160 years old ; )

Here is the bottom of the barrel. Could this have been rebuilt be the government, or would this be the work of a private person?

Winchester_73 · May 10, 2012, 10:25 AM

So...anyone know anything about the Remington?

I guess if I inherited 2 glocks and a Ruger GP 100, I would have gotten 30 replies!

micromontenegro · May 10, 2012, 01:03 PM

I don't know anything about the Remington, but I am sure happy for you that you got these inestad of two Glocks

marklyftogt · May 10, 2012, 01:15 PM

Those are amazing guns and I hope your children cherish them as well.

thedaddycat · May 10, 2012, 03:00 PM

Those are some beautiful pieces of history you have there. The color case hardening is just fantastic!

drail · May 10, 2012, 04:02 PM

Man, that brings back a lot of memories. My first handgun was a 58 Remington (not an original - an Italian clone). They are too much fun although if you shoot one a lot you will become skilled at replacing springs on a regular basis. The flat leaf springs used in those old revolvers seem to fail pretty often. Probably because no one is manufacturing them from quality spring steel. When Ruger designed their single action revolvers they changed to coil springs to solve the problem. They are much more reliable. I always wondered what guys did back in the 1800s to keep those guns running. A gunsmith would have had to be a very popular person to have around. I am not an antique gun expert but I am sure that it has been refinished, maybe multiple times. All of the originals that I have seen from that period had no finish left at all. If the finish is original then the gun has been in a time capsule for 150 years. Very nice. And a wonderful story, thanks for sharing it.

**Aguila Blanca** · May 10, 2012, 07:51 PM

Those are beautiful guns and you are a fortunate man.

However ...

Your great uncle Les is still alive. You did not "inherit" anything -- he gave them to you. It doesn't matter as long as you both live in the same state and the state allows paperless face-to-face transfers, but under some circumstances and in some locations the distinction could be VERY significant.

Hawg · May 11, 2012, 07:58 PM

The Remington has been refinished and the grips on the Colt aren't original. Very nice guns tho.

April 30, 2012, 11:10 PM	#1
Winchester_73 Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 2,863	Inherited 2 great revolvers - Colt 1873 and Remington 1858 A week ago I went to visit a Great Uncle of mine. He had sold me a lot of his guns in the past, because he wanted someone to enjoy them in the family as much as he did. He never had any kids himself. Most of his guns were quality (he sold me a Colt Combat Commander, Diamondback, Woodsman Match Target and the Midrange Wadcutter National Match in addition to several others) and he also gave me a few guns. I remember first hearing of my Uncle (my dad's mom's brother) when I was about 12. My dad would tell me how great the guns he had were, "Your Uncle Les has a heavy barrel woodsman (the match target that I later got. He ironically bought it from my dad who bought it brand new in the early 70s), a Colt Buntline, a long barrel luger with a shoulder stock, and a Colt 38 wadcutter." As years passed, I got into guns as those before me. Me and Les then began talking and bothering with each other more. At my grandmother's funeral, he offered to sell me some 22 rifles he had. A month or so later, I went over to buy them. He showed me his whole collection, which I had never saw all of it before. After he showed me most everything he had, I asked him "didn't you have a luger too", he replies, "ya I sold that to a guy I knew from the mill". My heart sank and still to this day, I shiver when I see an artillery luger. Its just one of those things that's hard to get over. I never imagined he would sell it because he didn't need the money, and he inherited it himself, but that's life for you. He told me that he didn't know I liked it, and he also is one of those guys that doesn't care about military arms, instead he likes commercial ones. He felt his best guns were the colts, and he wanted me to have them, which meant a lot to me and still does. After I bought the 22s, he later sold me the above mentioned handguns, and a Sako 78 HB 22. He kept a SAA 2nd gen buntline, and a 1858 Remington, telling me someday he would give them to me. He had been so generous to me already, I never bothered him about it. Once in a while I would offer to buy them, and then he would say "no I will give them to you". I wondered when or if he would. Those 2 guns were special to me, because he inherited them himself from my Great Grandfather Valenti. Valenti, some 50 yrs ago had a friend known as "Buzzarella" who would give him guns. He gave my great grandfather the following: 2nd gen buntline, Remington 1858 revolver, CZ 27 rig, artillery luger with shoulder stock, Winchester 94 32 WSL, Savage 99 300 sav, Colt Officers Model 22, and perhaps 1 or 2 others. While those are not the most valuable guns in the world, it was a nice gesture back in the 1950s. Les gave me the CZ 27, sold a friend of his the luger, gave his brother the OM, gave his other nephews the Winchester and Savage and so there were not many of these "Buzarella guns" as I call them left. On Saturday 4/21, I stopped by to visit Les and see some rifles another guy had for sale. The other guy was too high on his prices, so we went back to Les's house, and he gave me the Buntline 45 and the Remington 1858. I didn't know what to say. The Buntline is a 2nd issue/type per Garton (SN 26XXXSA) and the Remington appears to be a New Model 1863 variant of the 1858. These guns have been in my family for some 50 years or more. He also gave me a nice Colt Trooper 357 box, for one with 4in barrel, a target hammer and target stocks. I of course don't have that exact gun, I instead have a 38 trooper 4 in with target hammer and standard stocks and a model 357 4in with target hammer and target stocks but I'm not complaining. I thought I would share this great acquisition with my TFL brothers. I know many of you have had similiar things happen to you, and there is nothing quite like it. Pictured below are some of the newest additions to my collection. As you would expect, these guns will stay in my family. I have a son and daughter who will hopefully treasure this stuff the way I do. __________________ Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

April 30, 2012, 11:12 PM	#2
Winchester_73 Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 2,863	Remington 1858 photos The Remington may have been restored unfortunately. I wonder if it was done by an armorer / arsenal or done by a private person. The barrel also appears to not match the rest of the gun. The SN is 85XXX. The trigger guard and cylinder do match as do the grips. There are many single letter inspection marks on the gun as well as the cartouche on the grips which is so unreal that it survived. It works perfect and the bore is basically mint. Its a neat gun. If anyone has info about the refinish or the barrel's number, please let me know. Not bad looking for being about 160 years old ; ) Here is the bottom of the barrel. Could this have been rebuilt be the government, or would this be the work of a private person? __________________ Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

May 10, 2012, 10:25 AM	#3
Winchester_73 Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Pittsburgh PA Posts: 2,863	So...anyone know anything about the Remington? I guess if I inherited 2 glocks and a Ruger GP 100, I would have gotten 30 replies! __________________ Winchester 73, the TFL user that won the west

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May 10, 2012, 01:03 PM	#4
micromontenegro Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2010 Posts: 647	I don't know anything about the Remington, but I am sure happy for you that you got these inestad of two Glocks

May 10, 2012, 01:15 PM	#5
marklyftogt Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2012 Location: Salinas, CA Posts: 138	Those are amazing guns and I hope your children cherish them as well.

May 10, 2012, 03:00 PM	#6
thedaddycat Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2011 Posts: 388	Those are some beautiful pieces of history you have there. The color case hardening is just fantastic!

May 10, 2012, 04:02 PM	#7
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Man, that brings back a lot of memories. My first handgun was a 58 Remington (not an original - an Italian clone). They are too much fun although if you shoot one a lot you will become skilled at replacing springs on a regular basis. The flat leaf springs used in those old revolvers seem to fail pretty often. Probably because no one is manufacturing them from quality spring steel. When Ruger designed their single action revolvers they changed to coil springs to solve the problem. They are much more reliable. I always wondered what guys did back in the 1800s to keep those guns running. A gunsmith would have had to be a very popular person to have around. I am not an antique gun expert but I am sure that it has been refinished, maybe multiple times. All of the originals that I have seen from that period had no finish left at all. If the finish is original then the gun has been in a time capsule for 150 years. Very nice. And a wonderful story, thanks for sharing it.

May 10, 2012, 07:51 PM	#8
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,457	Those are beautiful guns and you are a fortunate man. However ... Your great uncle Les is still alive. You did not "inherit" anything -- he gave them to you. It doesn't matter as long as you both live in the same state and the state allows paperless face-to-face transfers, but under some circumstances and in some locations the distinction could be VERY significant.

May 11, 2012, 07:58 PM	#9
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	The Remington has been refinished and the grips on the Colt aren't original. Very nice guns tho.