"COLT DRAGOON REVOLVER. SN 2661. Cal. 44. Only about 300 of these rare revolvers were built by Colt as replacements for the Walker revolvers which had blown up & been destroyed in service, as is generally acceptable. They were made from left over Walker parts and, like this revolver, have a 7-1/2" oct to rnd bbl, German silver front sight with bbl address that reads from cylinder to muzzle. It has a vertical latch rammer with 2-3/16" cylinder that had a single safety pin which is missing. It has oval stop slots with a very distinctive pressure ridge and has Ranger-Indian fight scene. Frame has centrally located "COLT'S PATENT" over a tiny "U.S." on left side and it has very tiny irregularly hand stamped serial numbers on bottom of bbl lug, frame, front end of trigger guard, front end of buttstrap & on cylinder, all of which are matching. It has the reworked Walker trigger guard & backstrap that has the rnd front edge & square back edge in trigger slot with V-hammer spring & 1-pc walnut grip. Backstrap is noticeably longer than a standard dragoon, giving it a distinctive downward angle on buttstrap. The Book of Colt Firearms, Sutherland & Wilson, gives serial range of approx. 2216 to approx. 2515, however Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms states that a 1998 detailed study Observation on Colt Second Contract, November 2, 1847, wherein the authors state that they have identified 1,000, rather than the previously thought 300, of these rare revolvers and that serial ranges are from 2001 through 3000. The Sutherland & Wilson book even shows two of these higher serial numbered "Fluck" dragoons and identifies them as such. Accompanied by a copy of a page from Norm Flayderman's Catalog #115, Item 1526A, from 1990 offering this Fluck Dragoon for sale. Also accompanied by a copy of an article by Dick Salzer, Staff Editor, which appeared on p. 36 of an issue of The Gun Report, which lists seventy-one known Fluck revolvers with serial numbers ranging from 2030 through 3012. One of the numbers is "2660", the consecutive number to our Fluck. Also included is a page from Man at Arms which is a short article also regarding the Fluck revolvers which states in effect that the Fluck revolvers were not replacements for blown-up Walkers but were in fact a contract for 1,000 revolvers dated Nov. 2, 1847. They were simply manufactured from left over Walker parts and used Walker-style serial number dies left over from Whitneyville, making these the very first martially produced Colt revolvers. PROVENANCE: Norm Flayderman CONDITION: Very good to fine, all matching except wedge which is unnumbered, and rammer which is numbered 3616, obviously from a first model dragoon. Overall retains a dark chocolate brown patina with some silvered case hardening on frame. Cylinder, with its distinctive pressure line, retains 20-25% orig Ranger-Indian fight cylinder scene. Trigger guard & backstrap are a medium mustard patina. Grip has a chip at frame on left side, otherwise is sound & shows very heavy wear with some mild battering on bottom edges & buttstrap and retains a smooth hand worn patina. Hammer is not secure in half cock notch, otherwise mechanics are fine, strong dark bore with moderate pitting. 4-32307 JR352 (25,000-40,000)"
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