Colt Navy Revolver
Object No. H9709
Colt Navy percussion handguns came to Australia via both the military, as officers' handguns, and government contractors and immigrants seeking a life in the new colonies. With the Australian goldrush which began in the 1850s, Australia saw rapid immigration, and with it, many new firearms. Colt Navies were a significant innovation in handgun design because they were well crafted, reliable, portable, used a percussion firing mechanism, and a revolving cartridge which enabled six shells to be at the ready. Gold was found by European settlers at Ophir, near Orange, New South Wales, in 1851. It had a huge social impact on the workers of New South Wales, and thousands of eager prospectors deserted regular jobs to seek their fortunes in the goldfield. Such was the influx of men into the areas where gold had been found that the police and governing authorities were not always able to ensure order. Personal and property protection were important to those who were mining and running businesses, and weapons, particularly handguns, became much desired tools in the goldfields. Australian gunsmiths, mainly importers rather than makers of European and North American guns, made exceptional trade, as did emigrees from the Northern Hemisphere who brought guns to sell and trade. Colt Navies were, in the mid 1860s, issued to the New South Wales Police Force, and their older firearms issued to the New South Wales prison warders. Damian McDonald Curator, 2012
Loading...
Summary
Object Statement
Revolver, Colt Navy Model 1851, percussion, single action, .36 calibre, steel / wood, designed by Samuel Colt, marked 'Gaols 71', made by Colt's Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America, 1861
Physical Description
Revolver, Colt Navy Model 1851, percussion, single action, .36 calibre, steel / wood, designed by Samuel Colt, made by Colt's Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America, 1861
DIMENSIONS
Depth
335 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Manufactured in London, 1851.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Warren Anderson, 1982
Acquisition Date
26 July 1982
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
Image Licensing Enquiry
Object Enquiry