Colt Model 1862 Police
Colt's Manufacturing Company · Pistol · Discontinued · 1861
Also known as: Pocket Police, New Model Police, Police Model
Overview
The Colt Model 1862 Police was a .36 caliber percussion (cap-and-ball) revolver introduced by Colt in 1861. A compact, five-shot single-action belt revolver, it featured a rounded barrel, a creeping rack-and-pinion loading lever, and a distinctive rebated, half-fluted cylinder. Despite its name it was a commercial pocket and belt revolver rather than an issued police arm, and it was among the last percussion revolvers Colt designed before the transition to metallic cartridges.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 680 g (24.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 279 mm (10.98") |
| Barrel Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Muzzle Velocity | 259 m/s (850 fps) |
| Effective Range | 58 m (63 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 6 rpm |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .36 Caliber Percussion · primary — also known as .36 cal, .36 Navy, .36 cap and ball
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Cap And Ball Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Safety Pins Between Nipples
- Features: Percussion Cap And Ball, Creeping Loading Lever, Rebated Half Fluted Cylinder, Round Barrel, Roll Engraved Cylinder, Silver Plated Brass Backstrap
Service history
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 28,000 · Production years: 1861-1873
Roughly 70% were later converted from percussion to metallic cartridge; unconverted percussion originals are scarce.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Samuel Colt
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
Around 70% of the roughly 28,000 percussion examples produced were later converted to metallic cartridge in the 1870s, making surviving unconverted originals comparatively scarce. Barrel lengths of 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 inches were offered.
Background
Colt died in January 1862, so the Model 1862 Police was effectively one of the last percussion designs to leave his shop, and ironically the vast majority were torn apart years later and rebuilt as cartridge guns.