Wordless Wednesday: The Murder of Silas Merchant ---The Weapon

The following information is from some paperwork my Grandmother had. I am not sure of the source that she had.

Colt Revolver:
The model 1851 "Navy" was a .36 caliber pistol that weighed 2 pounds, ten ounces. Over 200,000 were produced up thru 1865. The "Navy" remained more popular in the south and was the prototype of practically all Confederate mad revolvers. The Navy Colt used to kill Silas Merchant was serial number 154825. It carries Patent number 4825 and the address as follows: "SamL Colt, New York U.S., America".
According to the current owner, the gun remained loaded with the remaining balls and in its holster until the mid 1960's when it was unloaded, cleaned and fired.





We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott