Colt 1860 Army
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Revolver · Discontinued · 1860
Also known as: Colt Army Model 1860, Colt Model 1860 Army, New Model Army
Overview
The Colt 1860 Army is a six-shot, single-action .44 caliber cap-and-ball percussion revolver designed by Samuel Colt. Building on the lighter Navy-size frame fitted with a rebated, enlarged cylinder, it delivered .44 caliber stopping power in a more portable package than the earlier Dragoon revolvers. With its 8-inch round barrel, open-top frame and creeping loading lever, it became the most widely used sidearm of the American Civil War, with more than 127,000 examples delivered to the Union Army.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1219 g (43.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 349 mm (13.74") |
| Barrel Length | 203 mm (7.99") |
| Action Type | Revolving |
| Firing Mechanism | Percussion |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 290 m/s (951 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 382 J (282 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 70 m (77 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 7 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44 Caliber Cap & Ball · primary — also known as .44 Black Powder, .44 Percussion
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Percussion Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Safety Notches
- Features: Open Top Frame, Creeping Loading Lever, Rebated Cylinder, Captive Barrel Wedge
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1860 · as Model 1860 Army
- Union Army · adopted 1861
- Confederate States Army
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
- American Indian Wars (1865-1873)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200,000 · Production years: 1860-1873
Over 200,000 produced; more than 127,000 delivered to the Union Army during the American Civil War
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Samuel Colt
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
Combined the Navy-size grip frame and lock work with an enlarged, rebated cylinder to fire .44 caliber projectiles. Most were made with a fluted or rebated cylinder roll-engraved with a naval battle scene. Production ceased in 1873 as metallic-cartridge revolvers superseded percussion designs.
Background
Adopted by the U.S. Cavalry in 1860, the 1860 Army became the principal sidearm of the Union during the Civil War. Samuel Colt did not live to see its wartime dominance, dying in January 1862; production continued at the Colt armory in Hartford until 1873.