Colt's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd (Signature Series) - Generation Percussion Revolvers:

 Starter JOKE from Jay Leno: The Doctor said - "I'm going to need a URINE sample .. a SEMEN sample .. and a FAECES sample".  - So, I gave him my underpants ...

Colt Revolving Navy Pistol (1851)

Quiet often I come across 'misguided' claims about Colt Percussion Revolvers and their values that annoy me. These spurious beliefs upset me because - for some reason, I've grown-up to hate liers & hypocrites. - This may be a hangover from going to a Catholic Grammer School run by some very nasty Jesuits and vicious lay teachers. - In all fairness - perhaps more than the two that I remember, may have been decent men doing a good job.

I am NOT an expert. - THE number one such Colt author & expert RL Wilson is now exposed as a swindler, faker, liar, and thief .. but sadly many folk still quote his expertise. So much of our recorded story is written from marketing material and doubtful sales talk as to be more myth than history. "When you mix clean water with dirty water - you get dirty water".

This is a wide field so I'm focusing my research mainly to the 1851 Navy 36 Caliber guns that were originally designed & made by Colt in their Connecticut factories between 1850-1873. They were of the 1st Generation. The East Armory building at Harford was completed 1855 and destroyed in the 1864 fire.

2nd Generation: Tales of how Colt's dusted off their old tooling dating from 1851 and began remaking new guns at Hartford in 1970, would have been very interesting - had that tooling not been destroyed when the fire razed most of the factory on Feb. 4, 1864.

These were manufactured and assembled in the Colt factory between 1971-1982 using parts imported from A Uberti of Brescia Italy, by Val Forgett of Navy Arms 1971-1973.

Then Lou Imperato supplied them, still from Italy 1973-76. - Production was then transferred to Lou Imperato's Iver Johnson Arms factory in New Jersey from 1978-1982 where they were manufactered with some U S made parts, fully to Colt's quality control and final inspection - and these are recognised and authenticated as genuine Colts.

It is likely that Louis Imperato bought Iver Johnson Arms in 1973. - Louis & his son Anthony Imperato started HENRY REPEATING ARMS in 1998 moving it to NJ in 2008.

Armi San Marco date from around 1960 in Italy - and Replica Arms of El Paso who first imported ASM into America, was started by L.F. Allen. This was sold and moved to Marietta, OH., and then, in around 1973, was sold to Navy Arms. Allen then started Western Arms which became Allen Arms, and then to Cimarron?

Both Uberti and Pietta seem to be currently owned by BENELLI - who are owned by BERETTA ..

3rd Generation: Imperato's 'Colt Blackpowder Arms Co.' (1993-2004? not Colt) manufactured this "3rd Generation" at the NJ Iver Johnson factory. - Armi San Marco built many parts marked Colt for Imperato but this contract failed - leading to ASM building & selling a quantity of guns stamped 'Colt'. Here things get very  messy and legally involved. - Imperato planned to get these guns fully built by A Uberti in Italy and many Colt marked revolvers were built having the Uberti name under the barrel. 

It was in NJ that all F Series standard production models were manufactured as The Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series. These new F Series 2nd Generation models came in black cardboard boxes with dark gray foam rubber inserts and featured Sam Colt's portrait and signature on the lid and end label.

I understand that the Colt Factory do not accept this 3rd series of guns as of Colt Manufacture.

2nd Gen. C series were assembled in Hartford. They have Colt's Royal Blue finish on barrel, cylinder, trigger, wedge and screws. The F Series were assembled in Middlesex, NJ and have the darker Colt Blue finish. These guns are authenticated by Colt. - BUT - the current Colt Company is owned & controlled by CZ - Is it - that company, authentic?

3rd Generation Revolvers are generally known as Signature Series guns.

There is ongoing debate about the status and values of both 2nd & 3rd Generation Revolvers. Most accept that 2nd Gen guns, authenticated by Colt are genuine ... but many enthusiasts consider that 3rd Gen Signature series pistols fall between the 'real thing' and the wholly made in Italy replicas..

Quality: I've been around guns for some 66 years .. I've seen much praise for Colt quality and lots of adverse comment and complaints about these later production guns - so I'd opine that many are excellent but some have faults & issues. The antique originals in my hands sure have their issues too - no surprise there then. No 'for profit' manufacturer WANTS to spend his money paying for unproductive Quality Control. 

To date I own three original antique Colt percussion revolvers and would love to have more to care-for.

In my experience - revolvers built by Uberti, Pietta, and Armi San Marco are fine percussion revolvers and well worth the money - once tuned a little.

- Now I wonder how the experts feel about the Colts made under licence in Belgium as Colt Brevete guns .. authorised and stamped by the Colt representative.

  Marty K.