Colt Signature Series Anomaly Question

[thekidd76]

Finally registered after lurking a long time and reading a lot. I'm hoping a lot of the folks knowledgable about these i've seen on other threads jump in here. My question is, what are the odds that one of these left the Colt Blackpowder factory with the barrel assembly serial number not matching the rest of the gun?

The reason I ask, I have 9 of these that I picked up years ago from an estate. I've recently started going through them again as I inventory my things, and have started taking more detailed photos. I've never fired any of these, and have no reason to believe the previous owner named on the mailing labels did either. This was a living estate of a family friend where I got these from the wife after the husband had 3 strokes and his personality completely changed. She decided she wanted all the firearms out of the house. I had about 15 originally with half dozen accessory kits, but sold off some several years back. So that's the backstory which brings us to the issue.

The Whitneyville Hartford Dragoon in the bunch has a barrel assembly that doesn't serial match to the rest of the gun, as seen in the pic below...does anything look off to anyone who has one of these maybe? does the barrel look wrong for this other than the serial not matching? Just looking for some opinions.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Are you certain that you got all of his Colts? Did you log all of the serial numbers? Something like that makes me wonder if there is a revolver somewhere that once belonged to your friend with the serial number 34648, and a barrel assembly marked 7471...
I think your friend may have inadvertently swapped barrels with another handgun of the same model.

LD

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

All I can say is that I have Second Generation 1860 Army in stainless steel. It’s unfired, but the barrel wedge number does not match the rest of the revolver. That’s small potatoes.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

All I can say is that I have Second Generation 1860 Army in stainless steel. It’s unfired, but the barrel wedge number does not match the rest of the revolver. That’s small potatoes.

I've had a couple stainless 1860's though all were prettier to look at then shot well.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @Loyalist Dave. Was there by chance another Hartford Dragoon in the ones you sold?

 

[Secesh]

I will say that anything is possible but figure it is more a case of what Loyalist Dave has said.

There is a barrel and frame hiding somewhere.

 

[Smokerr]

Looking at the SN and Barrel number, they are 27,000 apart. That is not a factory mistake or grab a barrel as needed.

I would look at the range of SN that you have or had. If it is a wide range that includes high SNs , then yes its probable it got swapped.

Pretty strange regardless.

 

[Crow Choker]

Are you certain that you got all of his Colts? Did you log all of the serial numbers? Something like that makes me wonder if there is a revolver somewhere that once belonged to your friend with the serial number 34648, and a barrel assembly marked 7471...
I think your friend may have inadvertently swapped barrels with another handgun of the same model.

LD

That was my thought before I scrolled down and read L Dave's post.

 

[thekidd76]

Are you certain that you got all of his Colts? Did you log all of the serial numbers? Something like that makes me wonder if there is a revolver somewhere that once belonged to your friend with the serial number 34648, and a barrel assembly marked 7471...
I think your friend may have inadvertently swapped barrels with another handgun of the same model.

LD

I thought the same thing, but if so it had to have been done before I was in the picture because the others that I sold all were numbers matching at the time I sold them. This wasn't a guy that sold things, more of a hoarder than a collector. He would go through phases of what he was interested in (like us all I imagine) and then everything would get put up and onto the next. Black Powder, then radio controlled airplanes, then M1 Garands, then toy trains, and on and on it went.

 

[CaptainVane]

Maybe it’s me but having hard time determining are these original colts, newer Colts, replicas?
I did read an article in Muzzleloader magazine. That around 1870 - 73 as Colt was moving to the SSA cartridge, they had a factory full of parts of 51, 61, other models, and were trying to unload all the ‘about to be obsolete’ pistols and were slapping barrels, frames, etc together regardless of serial numbers, so you may have an original factory Colt with completely unmatched numbers.
If not what the OP meant, than never mind.

 

[thekidd76]

Maybe it’s me but having hard time determining are these original colts, newer Colts, replicas?
I did read an article in Muzzleloader magazine. That around 1870 - 73 as Colt was moving to the SSA cartridge, they had a factory full of parts of 51, 61, other models, and were trying to unload all the ‘about to be obsolete’ pistols and were slapping barrels, frames, etc together regardless of serial numbers, so you may have an original factory Colt with completely unmatched numbers.
If not what the OP meant, than never mind.

These are Gen 3, also known as the Signature Series...the name licensed to Colt Blackpowder Arms Co out of Brooklyn....extensive articles and other info on this site and elsewhere if you search for Signature Series in the search bar. These were released in the mid 90's to the early 2000's.

 

[Phil Coffins]

That barrel assembly wasn’t on that pistol when it was built, even the standard replicas match the contour of the barrel to the frame. When it got swapped is anyone’s guess.

 

[CaptainVane]

Thx.

 

[brushblind]

I switch my Pietta frames and barrels sometimes and wonder if the original owner might have done the same.

 

[Stevan]

Now I am interested. Started to like the idea of BP revolvers two weeks ago. So, not trying to steal (thekidd76's thunder but), to get into Dragoons, are something like these a good dependable place to begin?
Thanks, Steve

 

[Smokerr]

Stevan: As has been suggested I am defining the acronyms in case someone if not you reading this is not familiar)

For what its worth I shot BP revolver once or twice back in the 70s and my brother still remembers my swearing and ranting never again. As I recall it was the grease that made a mess and guns should not be a mess (well cartridge guns)

Lo many years latter my wife gives me a BP Revolver (NMA aka New Model Army) back in the 70s. I looked at it, put it away. For whatever reasons I would pull it out once in a while and then put it away again.

Then one day I had it out and working the action and it was, hmm, this is S&W N frame smooth. N Frame being what I am familiar with in that line.

Then I got to thinking, well I should shoot this thing but that greease thing never seemed right, I mean did they ride with grease in the old west and atrack the dirt and wind up shooting a wad of gritty dust and grease?

So, with the internet you can research things pretty good and I came across the notion that the right size ball sealed the chamber and grease not needed (granted there are a lot that say it is or a wad and ....... each his own)

So I am thinking, ok, I got .457 balls with the gun from my wife , get some primes, some powder (mostly substitutes up here) and try it out. I put a ball in the cylinder and then drove it out and it had a .250 band on it, hmmm, sure looks like a good seal.

So I got what was needed and shot it, darn, its kind of interesting and so very different.

And now I have 4 of them. That is enough, probably sell one, but I cover from the 47
Walker to the ROA (Ruger Old Army) - have had a lot of fun with them. Gives you an insight and feel for the 1840s BP era on.

 

[Stevan]

Tell me about the Ruger compared to the others you own. I'm talking cleaning ease and difficulties, shooting as in comfort in odd recoil, reloading, safety. Action. Just about as much as you are welling to share. I'm talking knowledge. Just compare the best against the worst. In your opinion.
Thanks,Steve

 

[SDSmlf]

the others that I sold all were numbers matching at the time I sold them.

Might be worth a quick check of your records of the guns you sold to see if any had either of the serial numbers. May also check to see if previous owner had a log of gun serial numbers. The answer is out there, but you will likely never find it.

 

[thekidd76]

Might be worth a quick check of your records of the guns you sold to see if any had either of the serial numbers. May also check to see if previous owner had a log of gun serial numbers. The answer is out there, but you will likely never find it.

You're right on that never finding it part. I've checked all my records already, and his "records" were a mess. I went through everything I could 10 years ago when this adventure started, and there was nothing I could find with any reference to the serial on the barrel.