Collecting Replica Percussion Revolvers
Collecting Replica Percussion Revolvers
Since the advent of the reproduction of Black Powder Revolvers in the late 1950’s, the interest in these guns as collectable has increased greatly. The reintroduction of the official Colt Black Powder Revolvers further increased this interest, especially among already established Colt collectors. There were many manufacturers of these "replica" revolvers, which opens a whole new area of collecting.
Originally replica black powder revolvers were manufactured for the shooting public because of the increasing value of original guns, even those in poor condition. It became prohibitive to continue shooting old original guns from the standpoint of both value and safety. Thus, the manufacture of the modern production replica black powder revolver came into being. As with any collectable item the situation which makes it collectable is an interest in the item and limited availability. Value escalates as a result of an increasing number of collectors, which represents a demand, and a limited supply. Long time firearms collectors can remember the weapons of World War II and their dramatic appreciation. At the end of WWII the German Luger could be purchased for $10 and up. With the publishing of Harry E. Jones' book, "Luger Variations", the interest escalated very rapidly. The results of this interest can be seen in the value of Lugers today. The same was true of the Colt 1911-M1911A1 and it’s variations, and the German P-38 pistol.
There are several reasons why the replica black powder revolver is gaining popularity as a collectable item. First, there were several manufacturers, which made various models of these pistols. Second, there were several importers who marked their guns as their product (Navy Arms, Dixie Gun Works, Replica Arms, EMF, etc.). These guns, for the most part, are no longer marked as such which creates even another variation. Third, the numbers of these guns are dwindling because of attrition from shooting, destruction, etc. The supply is shrinking as the demand increases. Fourth, at this time it is financially feasible to collect these guns because their price is low in comparison to original revolvers of the time period. A person could build a sizeable collection with a modest investment. Fifth, at present there are no restrictions on the sale of black powder revolvers and this will hopefully remain so.
As with any new collectable it starts with a few who do the research as to what is available and organize these items into a collection. With the replica black powder revolver there is very little information. A lot of the manufacturers are gone, along with their records. The same is true of the importers who marked their guns. When enough information is acquired as to what the variations are, and a logical way to organize a collection, then the interest in these guns will increase dramatically, along with their value. Dr. James Davis had listed the few publications he found of great use back then. A great many of these are no longer in print but can be obtained over the internet from sources such as Amazon, Half.com, eBay, AbeBooks and other used book outlets. Some of these have become extremely expensive, but by shopping around they can sometimes be found at reasonable prices.
As with most collectors of these percussion revolvers Doc Davis explored the Colt models first. He even was able to get in touch with Lou Imperato of Colt Black Powder Arms. He was very cordial and they had several conversations. He informed Dr. Davis that someone else was already researching a book dealing with the 2nd & 3rd Generation Colts. Dr. Davis had never been a believer of “re-inventing the wheel”, so he concentrated his efforts on the other replicas that had been produced and were also in current production.
The Colt book being researched, of course, was Dennis Russell’s book, “Percussion Colt Revolvers – The Second Generation – Collector’s Handbook & Price Guide”. Dennis has continually revised this book and the last edition I have is #6. It is laid out in a format that makes it easy to find information about specific questions that arise. It is the only source of information about the accessories, special editions, display cases, and even the packaging the revolvers originally came in and their values. Dennis publishes this book himself so it is only available from him direct. Ordering information is available at the Endnotes Section of this document.
“Collecting Modern Colt Blackpowder Revolvers” by Eric Deaton is a second text on collecting the Colt 2nd & 3rd Generation Blackpowder revovlers. With hundreds of color pictures (several in full scale) this nearly 300 page book shows you how to tell them apart, how they work, what is rare and how they were packaged. With chapters on collecting, comparisons, packaging and accessories you will learn how to tell the best revolvers from the run of the mill ones. Deaton's book is available from eBay at https://www.ebay.com/itm/284088354994
An absolute ‘must’ book is William B. Edwards’, “Civil War Guns”. This book has an excellent history of the beginning of the replica percussion revolver industry for which Bill Edwards was responsible for bringing into existence. Chapter 35, “The Rage Over Replicas”, covers first hand this history. Where Val Forgett was the “Father” of the replica revolvers’ distribution, William B. Edwards was the “Creator” of this Industry.
Flayderman’s book, “Guide to American Antique Firearms”, is also an excellent source of information about the original revolvers that the replicas have copied. It has excellent coverage in easy to list format the different variations of, not only the Colts, but the Remington’s, Roger & Spencer, Starr, Whitney, etc., as well as the Confederate models. This is an annual publication and easy to find. Any edition will suffice.
Blue Book publishes, “Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Arms”, edited by John Allen, every two years. This book covers long guns as well as the revolvers. Even though the price guide and the coverage of the percussion revolvers are not complete, the book is also a “must” for the picture coverage. This started with Dennis Adler’s book, “Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas – A Collectors & Shooters Guide”. Good coverage of the special edition and commemorative issues with excellent pictures. This is out of print but available on Amazon. It is interesting that this book went up as high as $100+ when it went out of print. If replica revolvers are not collectable then why would a book dealing with them suddenly become “collectable”? Since the publication of the revised edition the prices of the paperback 1st edition have dropped to a reasonable level.
"Black Powder Revolvers - Reproductions & Replicas" by Alder is actually a reprint of Adler's first book, “Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas – A Collectors & Shooters Guide” with the addition of information about the percussion revolver conversions to cartridge. It is very good for its photography and Colt info, but, like the other edition, it does not cover the other, most produced replica percussion revolvers.
If you are interested in the Colt modern production revolvers then the only two books you will need is really Dennis Russell's book, "Percussion Colt Revolvers-The Second Generation-Collector's Handbook & Price Guide". Eric Deaton has also written a text on the same Colt Blackpowder Revolvers covering the 2nd Generation Colts with excellent photos of the various editions.
All the back issues of “Gun Digest”, “Guns Illustrated”, “Shooter’s Bible”, and the Black Powder Annuals are excellent sources of information of the development of the different models and distributors involved with the industry. It was Guns Digest where Dr. Davis first discovered the Witloe Remington New Model Army revolvers. The RPRCA library had all of these publications back to 1955.
Any and all catalogs produced by the various manufacturers and distributor are a valuable source of information. And much of this information is readily available on the internet in PDF format, many of which are available on the Cap and Ball Revolvers web site..
There are many other publications that at too numerous to list at this time that are also useful to the replica revolver collector. The bibliography of the book that Dr. Davis had been working on will contain many more of these references. Dr. Davis was nearing the completion of his book, "Replica Percussion Revolvers - A Collectors Guide", which had been in research for over 25 years. Unfortunately it had not been completed at the time of his passing in the fall of 2019 and most of Dr. Davis' notes for this book were lost several years ago in a flood.
Of the note sthat have survived, many articles have been written for the Cap and Ball Revolvers web site that cover most of the collectable replica revolvers. To get a good idea of those collectables out there, just browse through the articles in the Blog of the web site at
https://www.capandballrevolvers.com/ARTICLES
ENDNOTES –
~ from the notes of Dr. James Davis
~ The 6th edition of Percussion Colt Revolvers – The Second Generation – Collector’s Handbook & Price Guide is available for immediate delivery. The price is $39.95 plus $7.50 for shipping and handling charges to the lower 48 states (slightly higher shipping charges for Alaska, Hawaii and other parts of the world). If you are located in the lower 48, just send your $47.45 check or USPS Money Order to the address below. If you are located elsewhere, please provide your address and I will be happy to quote you the shipping charges for that location. IMPORTANT: All checks or USPS Money Orders must be made payable to Dennis Russell.
Dennis Russell
c/o Jared Press, LLC
3162 Johnson Ferry Road
Suite 260 – 607
Marietta, Georgia 30062
The shipping method quoted above is USPS Media Mail. If you prefer a faster method of shipping, upon request, he will be pleased to provide a quote for that service.
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