Information on original Colt revolver casings

[Alex Johnson]

I've been doing some research on the original wood cases that were sometimes provided with Colt revolvers in preparation for a writing project I'm working on. I've got most of the Colt reference books and they have provided some great information in the form of photos, but often little in reference to the actual cases.

I've gathered a lot of information from photographs concerning the construction of these cases, types of hinges used, style of lock wood joinery, etc; however, I'm really curious how the bottoms were constructed. It appears in most photos that they must have been recessed and one maker of reproduction cases says that they were pine, but I've not seen any photos to document this. I would love to hear from any member who has actual cases in their collection concerning some of the more minute details of the case.

I'm also looking for some documentation regarding the suppliers of these cases, if they weren't produced by Colt themselves. I have seen some cases in photographs that are obviously of much higher quality than the typical case one sees and I also remember reading that some of the really ornamental cases with the inlayed scroll work were contracted by Colt himself. Lots of questions and few answers. If anyone has some knowledge about the specifics, or links to sites that discuss this I would be very appreciative.

Thanks.