Colt Model 1862 Police

Five-Shot Percussion Revolver

United States | 1862

"28,000 Colt Model 1862 Police revolvers were produced in the span of 1861 to 1873, many pressed into service during the American Civil War."

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Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Colt Model 1862 Police. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

190 ft
57.9 m | 63.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

6
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

850 ft/sec
259 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Physical
The physical qualities of the Colt Model 1862 Police. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

279 mm
10.98 in
O/A Length

165 mm
6.50 in
Barrel Length

1.50 lb
0.68 kg
Weight

Single-Action
Action

.36 Cap and Ball
Caliber(s)

5-shot revolving cylinder
Feed

Open Iron Front, Fixed
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Colt Model 1862 Police Five-Shot Percussion Revolver family line.

Model 1862 Police - Base Series Designation

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/19/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Colt Model 1862 Police percussion revolver was intended for security personnel and followed the design lines of other Colt products emerging during this time in history. Like other Colt revolver offerings, it lacked a bridge over the ammunition cylinder, was chambered for .36 cap-and-ball ammunition and saw production numbers boosted by the American Civil War. Some 28,000 of the type were manufactured out of the Colt Patent Firearms Company in Hartford, Connecticut with production spanning 1861 to 1873.

A key differentiating feature of this revolver line was its half-fluted cylinder containing just five .36 "cap and ball" chambers. The barrel was rounded (as opposed to octagonal) with the "creeping-style" loading lever held underneath the barrel. Barrel lengths offered were 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 inch long to suit customer tastes. The case-hardened frame was typical Colt with an underslung curved trigger unit protected by a brass trigger ring and molded body sides ahead of the cylinder. The elegant hammer was situated within reach of the primary hand and protruded from the rear of the revolver body in the usual way. The single-piece walnut pistol grip curved downwards and was flared at the end with a brass back-strap. A small front iron sight allowed for some accurized aiming within short-to-medium ranges.

As metallic-cased cartridges became more and more popular (as well as readily available), some 70% of Colt Model 1862 Police revolvers were converted to fire the new ammunition. As such, the original-form revolvers have become extremely rare in today's collector market. Since they shared their serial numbers with the Model 1862 Pocket Navy revolvers in Colt production, it is not uncommon to find Model 1862 Police revolvers with high serial numbers themselves (as high as 47,700) despite their lower production totals overall.

Like many of Colt's revolvers of the mid-1800s, the Model 1862 Police version was utilized in the American Civil War leading to several hastily produced examples to keep up with requirements. Some were also delivered to the Pall Mall Agency of London and marked with "L" near the serial identification marker.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Colt Model 1862 Police. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company - USA

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[ Confederate States; United States ]

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Going Further...
The Colt Model 1862 Police Five-Shot Percussion Revolver appears in the following collections:

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ARMS

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