Summary

Uberti Colt 1862 Pocket Navy model percussion revolver, cal. .36 in., rifled octagonal barrel 140 mm (5 1/2 in.) long with loading lever attached.

Made by A. Uberti Srl, Italy. Serial number 104723.

This particular example was used by Holden Brothers Circus, probably from the 1960s.

Physical Description

Five chambered cylinder engraved with crisp stagecoach hold-up scene, large rounded silver plated brass trigger guard, case-hardened steel frame, silver plated brass back strap, wooden grips, pin style front sight. Knurling on hammer is course style. Excellent original blueing on barrel and cyclinder and strong case hardening colours on frame and loading lever.

Significance

This 1862 Pocket Navy model is a copy made by the well-known Italian firearm manufacturer of replica firearms, A. Uberti, Srl. The company was founded in 1959 by Aldo Uberti. The company's first replicas, and still arguably one of their mainstays, are western era muzzle-loading firearms. The original Colt 1862 Pocket Navy reintroduced pocket sized models to Colt's line-up, following a decade dominated by the larger framed 1851 Navy and 1860 Army models. 1862 saw the introduction of both the Pocket Navy model, retaining the octagonal barrel of the 1851 Navy model, and the Police model - essentially a scaled down version of the 1860 Army with round barrel, and adopting a fluted cylinder. Many of the two models were later converted to accept metallic cartridge ammunition, and continued throughout the 1870s as cartridge revolvers.

This revolver was used by the well-known Australian 20th century Circus - Holden Brothers Circus. It is one of several firearms donated by Barry Holden, one of the two brothers involved with the Circus. The Holden Brothers Circus was formed in Melbourne in 1892, passing through three generations of Holden family. An archive was donated to the Performing Arts Collection of the Victorian Arts Centre.

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