Antique METROPOLITAN ARMS Model 1862 “POLICE” .36 Perc. Revolver w/HOLSTER Close Copy of COLT MODEL 1862 Police w/2,750 Made

Product Description

Antique METROPOLITAN ARMS Model 1862 “POLICE” .36 Perc. Revolver w/HOLSTER

Close Copy of COLT MODEL 1862 Police w/2,750 Made

Here we present an antique Metropolitan Arms Company “Model 1862 Police” Percussion Revolver, made circa 1865, in New York City. This is a close copy of the Colt Model 1862 Police. The serial numbers began at 1101 and ran to 3850. Over the years, there has been very little that was positively known about the Metropolitan Arms Company of New York but is has long been assumed by firearms historians that the firm was established to take advantage of the massive fire that took place at the Colt Patent Firearms factory in February of 1864. With Colt’s production capacity severely curtailed, there was a perceived opening in the civilian percussion revolver market.

The newly established Metropolitan Arms Company stepped into the void left by the Colt fire by bringing three models to market, all of which were basically copies of current production Colt revolvers. The primary product was a copy of the Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver. The secondary product was a copy of the Colt Model 1862 Police Revolver, as is this example, and the final product was a variation on the Model 1851, which essentially a copy of the Colt Model 1861 Navy Revolver. None of the guns were produced in great numbers and even the Model 1851 type revolver which was produced in the greatest numbers is fairly scarce gun on the market today. Between the formation of the company in 1864 and when they went out of business circa 1866-67, Flayderman estimates that a total of 8,900 revolvers were produced. Of these roughly 6,100 were of the “1851 Navy” pattern, about 2,750 of the “1862 Police” pattern, and about 50 were of the extremely rare “1861 Navy” pattern. Interestingly all were .36 caliber guns, and no other calibers were produced.

It is believed that the firm was initially having trouble selling their revolvers. An indicator is the fact that the “Navy” revolvers were produced from serial number 1 through 63 and then the numbering jumped up to 1164, skipping the numbers in between. It is believed that they wanted people to believe they were selling more revolvers than they actually were, indicating they were popular. This has actually been documented in the past with some Smith & Wesson models, and more recently has been suggested to have take place at the New Haven Arms Company to make Henry Rifle production appear greater than it really was. The company used the same strategy in the production of their Model 1862 revolver and those guns started at number 1100, rather than 1.

Only around 1,600 of these revolvers bear the Metropolitan Arms Co. barrel marking. Some of the production was completely unmarked, as is this example, while others were marked for the Union Arms Company. They were made in a variety of barrel lengths, with this barrel measuring 4-1/2 inches in length.

The overall condition is fine. Original blue finish and case colors. The action is excellent. The bore is in great shape with sharp rifling. Solid grip. Numbers match.

Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.

Barrel is 4-1/2 inches.

Caliber: .36 Percussion

Overall condition as seen in photos.

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$2400
#240108