Is the Colt Navy possibly the coolest gun ever made?

[brazosdave]

 

What's that funny looking thing in the middle?

[Hawg]

What's that funny looking thing in the middle?

Looks like some kinda steampunk hooey.

[treadhead1952]

Why that would be Col. Colt's competition, Ephilets' idea of what a revolver should look like.

[Captainkirk]

Don't be a hater, now......

[StrawHat]

Don't be a hater, now......

If I have somehow overstepped a line, well shucks, I just do that naturally.

[CraigC]

Top straps are overrated and just a passing fad. 

[Captainkirk]

I love my Remmies, I really do. I even love my Rogers & Spencer, odd-looking duck that it is.
But let's be honest here; the '51 Navy Colt (to me, anyway) has a look unlike other BP revolvers of the day; less utilitarian, utensil-like and more of a thing of beauty. The lines just flow, like a Ferrari (to me) and honestly, I am almost as happy gazing at mine or handling it as shooting it. All the open-top Colts seem to have this attraction, to me. I think they are the best looking revolvers ever produced, even in their most basic, plain form.
Couple this with the lithe, well-balanced feel of a .36 cal. Navy and you have one of the most universally recognized and classic firearms to ever grace the annals of American history.
Did I mention....I really like my Navy?

[brazosdave]

I feel ya!  I'm sending off a target Remmy today for a refinish job, i like it, but i don't love it.  the Remmys have a distinctive look, one ya gotta get used to, unlike the Colt, which is a thing of grace, beauty, and perfect handling.  Remmys trigger guard to grip frame distance always ends up hurting my finger, way too small!

[treadhead1952]

For a whole lotta years the only black powder revolver that I owned was my 1851 Navy.  It did everything that you could want a charcoal burning revolver to do and did it well.  Expanding my collection of black powder handguns was only a reflection of wanting to try something a bit different, in this case shorter barrel, larger caliber as well as a design change.  But that in no way reflects on the excellence of the Colt 1851 Navy.

[Captainkirk]

"....unlike the Colt, which is a thing of grace, beauty, and perfect handling."

BAM! Karma comin' your way for hitting the nail on the head, Dave!

[Captainkirk]

One thing I have to mention; had I been carryin' back in the day and had my life dependent on a reliable shot, the Navy's propensity to swallow caps would have bothered me quite a bit.

[Saranac Sam]

I feel ya!  I'm sending off a target Remmy today for a refinish job, i like it, but i don't love it.  the Remmys have a distinctive look, one ya gotta get used to, unlike the Colt, which is a thing of grace, beauty, and perfect handling.  Remmys trigger guard to grip frame distance always ends up hurting my finger, way too small!

  I filed down the back of my Remmy trigger guard and some of the frame strap to get the space relief for my finger.  It's fine now and nobody would notice it unless they looked for it.

[Saranac Sam]

   I agree about the coolness factor of the 51 Navy, wanted one since I was a kid.  When I finally got one, realized it was too small for my mitts, so eventually got rid of it for that reason only.
   However, here's my latest solution for coolness of the octagon barrel, top pistol:



   It's an 1860 Pietta with a .44 octagon barrel that I found on eBay.  Richard on the 58 Remington Forum started this and I decided I had to have one.  Of course that pistol never existed in real life.
  They're all Piettas and they all shoot just fine.

[brazosdave]

Some of my favorite guns, namely the brasser .44 navys from Pietta, are one that never existed.  I don't give a flip, those are some of my finest shootin pistols!

[mike116]

   It's an 1860 Pietta with a .44 octagon barrel that I found on eBay.  Richard on the 58 Remington Forum started this and I decided I had to have one.  Of course that pistol never existed in real life.
  They're all Piettas and they all shoot just fine.

The 1860 Army fitted with a 51/2 inch 1851 Navy .44 cal. barrel is the the best handling BP psitol I've ever picked up.  I'm just sorry that Colt never realized this and produced them.  It Would have been one his best selling revolvers.