Categories
Category: All About Guns
Gun: Pocket Model 1849
Manufacturer: Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co. (London, United Kingdom)
Caliber: .31
Manufactured: 1855
Condition: NRA Excellent (Antique Gun Standards)
Value: $4,950 (As cased, with accessories)
The 1849 Pocket Model was one of Colt’s most successful revolvers, being produced in greater numbers than any other of the company’s percussion-cap guns. Introduced during the first years of the California Gold Rush, it had the added distinction of having put Colt solidly in the black, as this diminutive, .31-caliber, five-shooter became a valued companion of argonauts heading west.
Manufactured between 1850 and 1873 (and later chambered for six rounds), some 325,000 Colt Pockets were eventually made. Basically an improved version of Colt’s earlier Model 1848 Pocket Revolver, also known as the “Baby Dragoon,” the ’49 was updated with the addition of an integral under-barrel loading lever, a roller on the base of the hammer for smoother cocking and a rounded trigger guard that reduced snagging on clothing when being brought into action. To enhance its marketability, the gun’s cylinder was roll-engraved with a dramatic stagecoach hold-up scene.
Over its lifetime, the Model 1849 was available with a considerable variety of options. Barrel lengths were 3, 4, 5 or 6 inches, with 4 inches being the most common. The usual finish was a blued barrel, cylinder, trigger and screws and a case-hardened frame, hammer and loading lever.
A silver-plated, brass trigger guard and backstrap and varnished walnut grips completed the package. Like other Colt products, the ’49 Pockets could be ordered with special features such as exotic finishes, intricate engraving and exotic wood or ivory stocks. Single or multiple gun cases with full accessories were not uncommon.
Initially produced at Colt’s Hartford, Conn., factory, ’49 Pocket serial numbers began around 12,000, toward the end of the Baby Dragoon’s lifespan. Both were made side-by-side and shared numbers for a few months in 1850, after which the Baby Dragoon was discontinued.
Ambitious and entrepreneurial, Samuel Colt was ever-interested in expanding demand for his products overseas. In 1851, he presented an impressive display of the company’s line at the Great Exhibition in London.
Many of his British and Continental rivals at the fair, though extolled for their quality and inventiveness, lacked two main advantages in which Colt’s guns excelled—interchangeability of parts and efficient production methods.
Encouraged by his generally positive reception at the show, and always anxious to gain elusive government contracts, Colt, in 1853, opened a factory in London’s Pimlico district.
Here, he would produce Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers, Model 1849 Pockets and a small number of 3rd Model Dragoon .44s assembled mostly from Hartford parts. Recognizing the English upper-class familiarity with elegantly constructed firearms, Colt’s Pimlico pieces were finished to a higher standard than those made and sold in America. London bluing displayed a deeper, more-lustrous hue and the case-hardening was more radiant.
About 5,000 London-built 1851 Navy revolvers were purchased by Her Majesty’s War Department (and an unknown number were acquired privately by British military types) and saw use in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny.
Despite some favorable domestic testimonials by gentlemen, serving officers and such luminaries as Charles Dickens, authorities eschewed Colt’s .36-caliber single-action Navy in favor of the double-action English .442 Beaumont-Adams. Commercial sales were simply not enough to keep the costly London establishment afloat. Colt closed his overseas factory in 1856 after a scant four years of operation.
The London Model 1849, while of secondary importance to the Navy, was still an important product and sold well, some 11,000 of them being made; about two-thirds less than the total number of Model 1851s. Like the ’51, British Pockets can be found with either silver-plated brass or blued iron trigger guards and backstraps.
The London Colt Pocket Model seen here is in excellent condition, retaining approximately 50 percent of its original bluing. Most of its case-hardening has minimal fading. Its cylinder scene is crisp and deep, and the mechanics are perfect. The 4-inch-barreled revolver is English-oak-cased with original accessories. A London ’49 in this shape, on its own, would be worth $2,150. The case and accoutrements add another $2,800, bringing the value of the outfit to $4,950.
Categories
This could be useful
Categories
Primer 228: French Lebel R35
Categories
Field stripping Astra Cub 22
Here is the knife Tank bought from Bobby Tyler, opening the door to several custom guns,
including Tank’s first engraved gun, as well as friendship with the whole family.
It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I’d never own an engraved gun. Those guns were for wealthy, well-to-do types, of which I never was. That all changed after meeting Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works over 10 years ago. The chance meeting took place at the Whittington Center, just outside Raton, NM. Bobby had a few of his wares lying on a table.
Mixed among his wares was a small, fixed-blade knife. The blade was color cased in Bobby’s trademark finish, which really highlighted the wavy grain of the Damascus steel blade. If that wasn’t enough, Bobby saw fit to use mastodon ivory for the blade’s scales — the intoxicating spell was cast. Whoo boy! It was love at first sight! Needless to say, I had to have that knife, and it came home with me.
Shown are the Nitre blued base pin latch, ejector rod head and screws, as well as engraving on the ERH.
New Friends
This was the start of a wonderful relationship between me and the Tyler family. One would be hard pressed finding a nicer family, including Bobby’s wife, Paige, daughter Madie, and sons Dylan and Logan. If politeness, good manners and friendliness are throwback traits to the good old days, then the Tyler’s go back further than those Mastodon ivory knife scales.
It’s common for customers to transform into friends when dealing with the Tyler’s, they’re that warm. Bobby also had a few of his guns on display, some of which were engraved. Admittedly, I’m a stock box kind of guy, with maybe a few improvements done myself, keeping things affordable. But I had to admit, those engraved guns sure were enticing. Bobby noticed my fascination with them. It wasn’t hard — I had drool stains on my shirt.
Nice view of TGW color case, Dale Bass engraving and Nitre blued screws.
Giving Chance
Bobby asked me if I had any guns I needed engraved. I chuckled, telling him sure, but I could never afford such a luxury. Then he told me his philosophy on doing things. Bobby likes providing people with opportunities. By hiring local people new in the field, he’s able to keep prices down on such adornments as engraving. It also helps the community where he lives by providing jobs.
While an expert may be able to tell the difference, most lead-slinging shooters wouldn’t. Besides, who cares about any possible imperfections? I sure don’t.
Bobby also likes building guns within reach of the working man. Another trait I highly value and appreciate. As Bobby says, “Working people should be able to afford nice guns too, something to be proud of.” His philosophy is a good one, as I’ve donated money to his cause in exchange for some beautiful gun work.
So, a deal was struck, and I sent Bobby a Ruger Bearcat to be engraved, color-cased, and fitted with stag stocks for my gun. What came back was stunning! I was at a loss for words, as every detail came out beautifully, with even a few extras thrown in for good measure. The cylinder frame case-colored as only Bobby can do, with the mottled hues of purple and blue blend together, looking like the colors a drop of gasoline makes in a road puddle.
Dale Bass did the engraving using his southwestern motif. It is very classy, in a Western kind of way. I love it! Dale has since moved on, becoming quite the popular engraver, establishing a great reputation for himself because of his exceptional work.
Bobby still uses him, but the price of business has gone up, as it should, due to the quality of the work involved. If there are any flaws in his work, I sure can’t see them in my gun.
Even the trigger guard bottom is nicely engraved, as well as the backstrap.
Nitre Blued Accents
The gun also has nitre bluing on some of the smaller parts, providing excellent contrast in the most beautiful way. This was the “extra” Bobby surprised me with. Besides the trigger and hammer screwheads being engraved, the screws are nitre blued, as is the cylinder base pin and latch. Lastly, the ejector rod housing screw and ejector rod head are nitre blued.
I can’t say enough about Dale Bass’s engraving skills, I surely appreciate his work and this particular pattern.
Stocks
The stocks are well figured stag having just enough bark to let you know where they came from. Ruger Phoenix medallions were also added for authenticity’s sake. The whole combination of color cased frame, engraving package, and stag stocks makes for the most beautiful of packages.
Wrap Up
As you can imagine, I’m tickled over my engraved TGW Ruger Bearcat. It is a beautiful gun worthy of BBQ status now. Better yet are the memories this gun provides of me meeting Bobby Tyler and his family for the first time, as he was just starting out with his custom gun business. He’s gained a lot of ground in this area.
Now, he does batches or limited runs whenever he can get 25 to 50 guns and customizes them as only he can, along with his faithful and talented gunsmith Dusty Hooley, who still has the coolest name in the industry. TGW also makes stocks for Smith & Wesson revolvers — most recently, their Mountain Gun re-release — as well as traditional S&W models. Lastly, TGW buys gun collections, selling the pieces individually at fair prices. Check out TGW for any of your gun needs. If he can’t help you, he’ll surely point you in the right direction.
Visit TylerGunWorks.com for more information.