Colt M1861 Navy
type of revolver
The Colt Model 1861 Navy cap & ball .36-caliber revolver is a six-shot, single-action percussion weapon that was produced by Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1861 until 1873. It incorporates the "creeping" or ratchet loading lever and round barrel of the .44-caliber Army Model of 1860 but has a barrel one-half inch (13 mm) shorter, at 7.5 inches (190 mm). Total production was 38,000 revolvers.
History
Like its forerunner, the Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, it saw widespread use in the American Civil War and on the American Western frontier, though far fewer were produced. It has the same general specification as the earlier model, but with a rounded barrel and somewhat different rammer. While similar in design to the Colt Army Model 1860, the lighter recoil of the 1861 Navy's .36 caliber was preferred by some cavalry soldiers.
During the Civil War its main competitor in England was the Adams self-cocking revolver. The Adams fired a .49 caliber bullet and did not require the shooter to pull the hammer back. Colt's revolver was more popular because Colt mass-produced his weapons while Adams' products were handmade by skilled artisans. In the United States, Colt's main rival was the Remington Model 1858 revolver.
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