What are these?

[Joe Miller]

What revolvers is my ancestor holding?
I'm guessing 1851 Colts?
Captain Bill Strong.

Thanks

 

[TNGhost]

Kind of hard to tell with the graininess of the photo, but they do look a lot like Colt 1851 navies, or one of their many knock offs.

Can't really see if the barrels or round or octagonal, or if the frames are iron or bronze. Even hard to tell if they have a recoil shield or not. All of those would lead to a more certain specific conclusion, but by it's shape and size I would say some iteration of a navy. Odds are with production numbers it would be a Colt 1851 navy.

 

[Joe Miller]

Thanks. I don't have tbe original photo.
That fits the time frame. He was a captain in the Civil War, had a "colorful" life thereafter. "Bloody Breathitt County Feud" in Eastern Kentucky, was assassinated in 1897 at age 71.

 

[Whitworth]

The light reflecting off the barrel of the revolver in his left hand makes it look the barrel may be round. If so I would guess a CSA produced Griswold and Gunnison. JMHO

 

[Eterry]

IMHO, it looks like an 1860 Army in one hand and an 1851 Navy in the other.
Great photo, I had several ancestors fight in the "War of Nothern Aggression", but no photos survived.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I’m favoring a 1851 over a 1860. Note the larger grip on the one and it also has a different contour to the loading lever and is that a visible front sight? What we need is one of those TV crime shows to do some of that incredible digital photo shop so we can see the serial number.

 

[Grenadier1758]

It may be that the pistols were props furnished by the photographer.

 

[Heelerau]

Interesting read, bloody times and lasted into the start of the 20th century. Bet you still might have to be careful about what you speak of in that county even today.

 

[TNGhost]

The light reflecting off the barrel of the revolver in his left hand makes it look the barrel may be round. If so I would guess a CSA produced Griswold and Gunnison. JMHO

I kind of tend to agree with you, but the quality of the photo makes it hard to tell, G&G or other Confederate copy, or if their is no recoil shield, Dance.

IMHO, it looks like an 1860 Army in one hand and an 1851 Navy in the other.
Great photo, I had several ancestors fight in the "War of Nothern Aggression", but no photos survived.

Zooming in you can definitely see the telltale link of the older rammer style hanging down on both, so I don't think it is an 1860, but again hard to tell given the quality of the photo

I’m favoring a 1851 over a 1860. Note the larger grip on the one and it also has a different contour to the loading lever and is that a visible front sight? What we need is one of those TV crime shows to do some of that incredible digital photo shop so we can see the serial number.

I don't think one grip is larger. I just think it looks that was from the way his hand is positioned higher on the one on the left, with his thumb on the hammer spur.

It may be that the pistols were props furnished by the photographer.

Very likely, as that was common during the period.

 

[ab44]

colts ? I prefer the Remington no top frame on these.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I keep thinking these were the photographer's props. Captain Bill as pictured is not wearing a holster belt or anything indicating how he would have carried his brace of pistols. His coat is fitting flat over his hips.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I keep thinking these were the photographer's props.

Ditto.

LD

 

[Twisted_1in66]

***SNIP***
Zooming in you can definitely see the telltale link of the older rammer style hanging down on both, so I don't think it is an 1860, but again hard to tell given the quality of the photo
***SNIP***

I blew up the photo a bit and it's pretty grainy. I was expecting to see 1851's in both hands, but the one is his left hand has not only a round barrel but that sweepingly graceful ramrod link to the rest of the frame. The one in his right hand deals in 90° angles like the 1851. The one in his left hand doesn't. I have always like the looks of the 1860 Army better than any of the other colts of the era, and that looks like an 1860 to me.

I don't actually own one of those but I was given a non-firing mounted replica of both of those for Christmas about 10 years ago or so. One of these days I'll get a "real" working version of the 1860 Army of my own...

Twisted_1in66
Dan

 

[Eterry]

I blew up the photo a bit and it's pretty grainy. I was expecting to see 1851's in both hands, but the one is his left hand has not only a round barrel but that sweepingly graceful ramrod link to the rest of the frame. The one in his right hand deals in 90° angles like the 1851. The one in his left hand doesn't. I have always like the looks of the 1860 Army better than any of the other colts of the era, and that looks like an 1860 to me.

I don't actually own one of those but I was given a non-firing mounted replica of both of those for Christmas about 10 years ago or so. One of these days I'll get a "real" working version of the 1860 Army of my own...

Twisted_1in66
Dan

When I zoomed it in that's what it looked like to me. But what do I know...

 

[Joe Miller]

I think I'll dig deeper and see if the original photo still exists. A copy of a copy of a copy erases detail.

 

[Joe Miller]

Interesting read, bloody times and lasted into the start of the 20th century. Bet you still might have to be careful about what you speak of in that county even today.

I was born with the same name, adopted by kin and became a Miller. The family genealogist says "1st cousin, thrice removed". Never been down there. Might need to put that on my bucket list...if I hurry.
I lived in a similar place in Upper East Tennessee. Everybody lived up a little holler, murders were too common, and grudges generational.

 

[Grumpa]

My guess is a Navy Colt 1851, and an Army Colt 1860. I am curious as to which side he fought for?

Richard/Grumpa

 

[TNGhost]

I blew up the photo a bit and it's pretty grainy. I was expecting to see 1851's in both hands, but the one is his left hand has not only a round barrel but that sweepingly graceful ramrod link to the rest of the frame. The one in his right hand deals in 90° angles like the 1851. The one in his left hand doesn't. I have always like the looks of the 1860 Army better than any of the other colts of the era, and that looks like an 1860 to me.

I don't actually own one of those but I was given a non-firing mounted replica of both of those for Christmas about 10 years ago or so. One of these days I'll get a "real" working version of the 1860 Army of my own...

Twisted_1in66
Dan

When I zoomed it in that's what it looked like to me. But what do I know...

Looking again, I am still thinking they are both 1851s. You can see the "***" of the rammer link, of the gun in his left hand, directly in front of the same feature of the one in his right, and they appear the alike. Also the gun in his left hand clearly does not have the flattened "web" area that connects the lever to the rammer, as on an 1860.

Being the proud new owner of an 1860 replica, I have it here in front of me as well as an 1851 and though the photo is grainy, they sure look like the same gun. If there is any difference in the two it seems it would be that one has a round barrel and one octagonal, but really hard to see and that could just be shading.

Also the frame under the cylinder and the top of the cylinder itself both appear to be a straight line on the gun in his left hand, and do not show the step that would indicate the rebated cylinder of an 1860 or the relief in the frame for it.

 

[Joe Miller]

My guess is a Navy Colt 1851, and an Army Colt 1860. I am curious as to which side he fought for?

Richard/Grumpa

He was Union, then

My guess is a Navy Colt 1851, and an Army Colt 1860. I am curious as to which side he fought for?

Richard/Grumpa

Union, 14th Kentucky Regiment.
Some interesting additional info from an interview with him by a Louisville Courier-Journal reporter.
https://www.breathittcounty.com/BadBill.html

 

[TNGhost]

He was Union, then

Union, 14th Kentucky Regiment.
Some interesting additional info from an interview with him by a Louisville Courier-Journal reporter.
https://www.breathittcounty.com/BadBill.html

Fascinating article. Thanks for posting. It gives great insight into the type of "blood fueds" that erupted in that part of the world after the end of the war.