This Colt 1851 Navy revolver in .36 caliber was made in 1856 and carries serial number 61874. It has a 7.5-inch barrel and a dark mottled patina on the metal. The seller notes that the parts do not carry matching serial numbers, so this is not a matching-numbers gun, and the metal shows the patina of a long service life. The seller also calls the gun completely mismatched with other martial-issue examples, a point worth weighing before ordering.

Collectors who study mismatched period revolvers will look at this one for the configuration and the patina rather than for matching numbers. Buyers who want a matching-number example should look elsewhere, and state rules on age and permits apply to any handgun purchase. A serial-number check on arrival lets a buyer confirm the parts described in the listing.

Key features

• Colt 1851 Navy revolver, .36 caliber
• Made in 1856, serial 61874
• 7.5-inch barrel with dark mottled patina
• Serial numbers do not match across parts
• Listed as a US martial-named Colt

Handguns ship to your FFL dealer, where you complete Form 4473 and pass the background check; you must be 21 or older.