Ultra rare and Historic, Hartford manufactured, Colt Third Model 1851 Navy percussion revolver s/n 33790, manufactured circa 1853 and issued to the Kriegs Marine (KM) from 1857 to 1874. It bears the issue number KM / 787 stamped at the top of the backstrap. It comes complete with its rare Prussian “KM” holster and pouch, along with a “KM” capper and “COLTS / PATENT” “KM ” marked flask.

This revolver manufactured at the Hartford factory in 1853 was in one of three shipments of Colt Navies that were ordered by the Russian government during the Crimean War. The Crimean War took place between October,1853 and February,1856 between Russia and a coalition of countries including Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia.

In August, 1855 a shipment of about 3,480 Colt Navies were confiscated by the Prussian Customs Administration at the border between Belgium and modern-day Germany in Aachen. See the period newspaper report on the seizure in August 1855, in the images on this gun. At that time in 1855, weapon shipments through neutral Prussia to Russia were banned because of the war.

The Colt Navies were packed in 145 bales of cotton. Each bale contained a tin case with 24 Navies, along with bullet moulds, powder flasks, nipple wrenches and cartridges. Another order of 3,000 was successfully delivered to Moscow sometime before September, 1856. There was also a third shipment of 3,000 Navies shipped in 1856 via Bremen, Germany that were also confiscated by the Prussians. Serial number 33790 most likely was from the third shipment of guns that were intercepted in 1856.

The political outburst from these three shipments to Russia caused immense embarrassment and financial loss for Samuel Colt. His new factory in London was supplying thousands of Colt 1851 Navies to the British government for use in the Crimean Peninsula. He was caught in a conflict of selling firearms to the enemy of Britain and its Allies. He denied knowledge of the shipments. To my knowledge, he was fined many thousands of pounds for his indescretions.   

The confiscated Colt Navies were sold off by the Prussian Government through auctions. It is estimated that about 1000 of the estimated confiscated Navies were purchased by the Prussian military for use in the Prussian Royal Navy, from 1857 to 1874. All of these revolvers are marked “KM” on the top flat part of the back-strap, with an issue or registration number under the KM mark. The registration number on this gun is number “787”. The “KM” Colt Navies are to be found in a serial range between 31500 and 37500

Serial number 33790 is a middle Colt Third Model 1851 navy percussion revolver, manufactured in Hartford circa 1853. It has a 7½ inch octagonal barrel with address: – ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW.YORK CITY -. The left side of the frame is marked ‘COLTS/PATENT’ with an inspectors initial “F” stamped at the front, on the left side of the brass trigger-guard and a “G” stamped on the shoulder at the rear of the trigger-guard. The loading lever screw enters from the right side of the barrel. The front sight has been replaced. The barrel, loading lever, frame and cylinder is blued (some guns in the shipment were browned) and the loading lever, frame and hammer case-coloured. The brass back-strap and brass trigger-guard are silver-plated. The revolver is complimented, with one-piece walnut grips.

It comes with its original and rare, redesigned third type Kreigsmarine holster, with attached cylinder pouch and brass percussion capper with lanyard ring, cord manufactured circa 1869. This rig was manufactured in Germany by Schmidt and Noeschel of Suhl. The third type of holster would accommodate either the Colt Model 1851 percussion revolver or the English Adams double action percussion revolver.

The brown leather Holster is stamped with a crown above the capper compartment. The compartment for the capper is stamped KM over a crown and attached to the holster. The brown leather cylinder pouch is also attached to the holster and is stamped KM over a crown, on the flap. The brass percussion capper, with lanyard ring and cord attached is stamped KM779.

The one-sided Colt designed flask shows a stand of flags behind a cannon and crossed rifles and pistols. It is stamped “COLTS / PATENT” (Rapley #F15) above the flags. It is the same pattern as Rapley #F14, but with the addition of the stamping of “KM / 159”. The sloping charger on all KM flasks were reduced in size to reduce the chances of overloading the charge. It is thought that the numbers on the revolvers, flasks and cappers were not issued as matching numbers.

The bore is bright with strong rifling with some pitting. It is about 8/10. All matching numbers except the wedge which is numbered 2961. There are areas of original blue and case colours remaining, with traces of silver on the brass back-strap and trigger-guard. All markings are strong, including approximately 95% cylinder scene. Overall in fine condition with good tight action.

This historic gun is from the personal collection of my dear friend, Robert M. Jordan, author of “Colt’s Pocket ’49”, “Colt 1851 and 1861 Navies & Conversions” and “Colt Percussion Engraving Styles”. Read Bob’s story of the “KM’s” in Chapter Seventeen, pages 217-221 in “Colt 1851 and 1861 Navies & Conversions”. This is one of the hardest variations of Colt 1851 Navies to find. In more than forty six years of collecting and dealing, I have owned only one other example.