How to date a colt black powder pistol

hounddogman · January 29, 2015, 06:32 PM

Top of the barrel is stamped ADDRESS COL SAM COLT NEW YORK U.S. AMERICA. In front of the trigger guard the brass is stamped 155061, the bottom of barrel is stamped 201662. Any help would be appreciated

Jim Watson · January 29, 2015, 07:24 PM

What model?
Must we play Internet Twenty Questions?
Give details and show pictures.

Scorch · January 29, 2015, 10:00 PM

Best way to date one is call up when you know it is home alone and try chatting it up, then ask it if it wants to go out and play.

Gotta know at least what we are trying to help you with. Pictures help.

hounddogman · January 30, 2015, 07:20 AM

you guys are clever, no pics, no camera. I think it is a 32 cal. navy I thought someone may know how to date by the way the gun is numbered

BillM · January 30, 2015, 08:28 AM

OK--I'll take a swing at it.

If it's a 5 shot 31 caliber, it's likely a 1849 Pocket model.

36 cal and 6 shot? 1851 Navy is the likely candidate.

What is the serial number on the frame? It's probably on the
bottom, between the brass trigger guard and the barrel numbers.
The frame number will determine year of manufacture.

Assuming it's an original, those are the only two small caliber
models I see that had serial numbers of 200,000+

spacecoast · January 30, 2015, 08:31 AM

From your description I'm thinking it's an 1849 pocket pistol (.31 cal) with mixed parts. How many chambers? Barrel length?

From colt.com...

155061:
1865 1860 ARMY (.44 CALIBER)
1863 1851 NAVY (.36 CALIBER)
1859 1849 POCKET (.36 CALIBER)

201662:
1867 1851 NAVY (.36 CALIBER)
1862 1849 POCKET (.36 CALIBER)

I don't have my TBCF with me to pin it down better based on the barrel address. I think all '51 Navies have a 7.5" barrel IIRC. And the caliber should be .31 cal no matter what is stated at colt.com.

sgms · January 30, 2015, 11:00 AM

Hounddogman while some of the people are joking a bit it is hard to ID with just a number. Go to the colt site and look up the number 155061 and you get 13 different guns made from 1859 through 1960, several of them are black powder guns. The number 201662 returns 13 different with a date spread of 1862-1968 also with more than one being black powder. Different models can and do have the same serial numbers.

hounddogman · January 30, 2015, 12:26 PM

The cylinder holds 6 rounds and has a 7 inch barrel, I thought maybe the serial numbers might mean something. From random pics on the web it looks like a 1851 navy. I'll check out colts website, thanks

Jim Watson · January 30, 2015, 02:44 PM

The serial numbers DO mean something, now that we have an idea what you are starting with.
The official legal serial number is the one on the frame, usually just ahead of the trigger guard number. Different numbers on trigger guard and barrel indicate "field repair" or just assembly of a gun out of mixed parts.

mapsjanhere · January 30, 2015, 04:13 PM

There's a same year 1851 Navy currently on gun broker, showing you where you should expect serial numbers
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=465111596
If yours doesn't have those you really want to post pictures if you want to know if yours is original.

James K · January 30, 2015, 11:25 PM

The caliber should be stamped on the left side of the trigger guard, at the rear.

As Jim Watson says, mismatched numbers indicate a parts gun. The value will be less than a matched gun; how much depends in part on how many parts don't match.

Jim

January 29, 2015, 06:32 PM	#1
hounddogman Member Join Date: September 17, 2014 Posts: 69	How to date a colt black powder pistol Top of the barrel is stamped ADDRESS COL SAM COLT NEW YORK U.S. AMERICA. In front of the trigger guard the brass is stamped 155061, the bottom of barrel is stamped 201662. Any help would be appreciated

January 29, 2015, 10:00 PM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Best way to date one is call up when you know it is home alone and try chatting it up, then ask it if it wants to go out and play. Gotta know at least what we are trying to help you with. Pictures help. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

January 30, 2015, 04:13 PM	#10
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	There's a same year 1851 Navy currently on gun broker, showing you where you should expect serial numbers http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=465111596 If yours doesn't have those you really want to post pictures if you want to know if yours is original. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

January 29, 2015, 07:24 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,546	What model? Must we play Internet Twenty Questions? Give details and show pictures.

January 30, 2015, 07:20 AM	#4
hounddogman Member Join Date: September 17, 2014 Posts: 69	you guys are clever, no pics, no camera. I think it is a 32 cal. navy I thought someone may know how to date by the way the gun is numbered

January 30, 2015, 08:28 AM	#5
BillM Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Amity Oregon Posts: 791	OK--I'll take a swing at it. If it's a 5 shot 31 caliber, it's likely a 1849 Pocket model. 36 cal and 6 shot? 1851 Navy is the likely candidate. What is the serial number on the frame? It's probably on the bottom, between the brass trigger guard and the barrel numbers. The frame number will determine year of manufacture. Assuming it's an original, those are the only two small caliber models I see that had serial numbers of 200,000+

January 30, 2015, 08:31 AM	#6
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	From your description I'm thinking it's an 1849 pocket pistol (.31 cal) with mixed parts. How many chambers? Barrel length? From colt.com... 155061: 1865 1860 ARMY (.44 CALIBER) 1863 1851 NAVY (.36 CALIBER) 1859 1849 POCKET (.36 CALIBER) 201662: 1867 1851 NAVY (.36 CALIBER) 1862 1849 POCKET (.36 CALIBER) I don't have my TBCF with me to pin it down better based on the barrel address. I think all '51 Navies have a 7.5" barrel IIRC. And the caliber should be .31 cal no matter what is stated at colt.com.

January 30, 2015, 11:00 AM	#7
sgms Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Arizona or Ohio depending Posts: 1,021	Hounddogman while some of the people are joking a bit it is hard to ID with just a number. Go to the colt site and look up the number 155061 and you get 13 different guns made from 1859 through 1960, several of them are black powder guns. The number 201662 returns 13 different with a date spread of 1862-1968 also with more than one being black powder. Different models can and do have the same serial numbers.

January 30, 2015, 12:26 PM	#8
hounddogman Member Join Date: September 17, 2014 Posts: 69	The cylinder holds 6 rounds and has a 7 inch barrel, I thought maybe the serial numbers might mean something. From random pics on the web it looks like a 1851 navy. I'll check out colts website, thanks

January 30, 2015, 02:44 PM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,546	The serial numbers DO mean something, now that we have an idea what you are starting with. The official legal serial number is the one on the frame, usually just ahead of the trigger guard number. Different numbers on trigger guard and barrel indicate "field repair" or just assembly of a gun out of mixed parts.

January 30, 2015, 11:25 PM	#11
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The caliber should be stamped on the left side of the trigger guard, at the rear. As Jim Watson says, mismatched numbers indicate a parts gun. The value will be less than a matched gun; how much depends in part on how many parts don't match. Jim