AVENGING ANGEL
M1860 COLT ARMY .44 REVOLVER Belly Gun Snubby c1872 Antique Orrin Porter Rockwell, Dallas Stoudenmire
Description:
AVENGING ANGEL M1860 COLT ARMY .44 REVOLVER Belly Gun Snubby c1872 Antique
Orrin Porter Rockwell, Dallas Stoudenmire
Here we present an antique Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver “Belly Gun” or “Avenging Angel” as these shortened revolvers are called, made in 1872 in Hartford, Connecticut.
This revolver is a fantastic example of how some of these from-the-factory, full-sized .44s and .36s were customized to their owner’s specifications by themselves or by local gunsmiths. Obviously, a longer barrel is well suited to horseback cavalry, but in a day when reloading required several steps it was far easier to simply draw another gun. Cartridge guns were available for smaller calibers such as .32 and .22 Rimfire, and some percussion Colts and Remingtons were converted to cartridges such as .44 Henry, but, in general, handguns and especially revolvers were not available in sizeable cartridges (.36, .38, .44 etc.) until Smith & Wesson (1870) and then Colt (1873) and Remington (1875) began producing their single actions in the early-1870s, becoming widespread and more common by the 1880s. Some call these shortened guns “snub-noses”, some call them “belly guns” (think 19th Century appendix carry) and some call them “avenging angels”. The last title is quite an interesting one, considering its Mormon roots. Brigham Young’s personal bodyguard, Orrin Porter Rockwell, was a mountain man, U.S. Marshall, and fearsome gunfighter famously carried several revolvers like this on his person at any given time, and he wasn’t the only one. Another famous gunfighter and Texas Ranger, Dallas Stoudenmire, was known to carry and use a shortened Colt 1860 Army. Original guns modified during the period of use are hard to come by and especially in this kind of condition. If a person was going through the trouble to do this, they generally used that gun or guns pretty hard.
The Colt 1860 Army Revolver represented unprecedented firepower from a handgun in the field at the time of its creation and was especially suited to Cavalry. The Confederacy, lacking in manufacturing capabilities though they were, managed to produce limited numbers of copies, and battlefield pickups of the 1860 Army were highly coveted. The 1860 Army went on to serve the U.S. military even after the Civil War and into the Indian Wars, until production of Colt’s 1873 Single Action Army created new waves in the revolver market, and again achieved great success in the military and commercial markets.
The overall condition is near fine. Original blue finish and patina. Nice Battle of Campeche cylinder scene. The action is excellent, very crisp. The bore is in great shape with sharp rifling. The barrel was shortened, a German silver front sight installed, and the loading lever removed. The walnut grip is solid with some minor chipping at the lower corners. The numbers match. A superior example of an original period Colt 1860 Army belly gun.
Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.
Barrel is 3 inches.
Caliber: .44 Percussion
Overall condition as seen in photos.
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ancestryguns
$4200
#228175
SOLD
Antique: Yes