Evolution of Colt's 1851 Navy Revolver and a comparison of modern made replicas 

Good info to know. I've never handled an original!

The Navy is the finest balanced handgun I’ve ever shot. It fits perfectly on the hip, points naturally, and packs just barely enough power to be combat effective. I carry a full 7.5” barrel for winter carry. For summer, I attach a custom 5.5” 1861 barrel with the loading lever removed, so it carries lighter and fits under a light cover garment without the barrel protruding.

Mike - You had me jumping up from my computer in order to eyeball my own 51 navies and taught me a few things I did not know (or ever notice) about them. Many thanks.

My wife just bought me a Pietta 1851 in .44 for our 5th wedding anniversary. Needless to say, the historical significance of it isn't that big a deal to me, but I've been reading and watching everything 1851 related that I can. Can't wait to shoot it, and can't get enough 1851 content!

Mike ,you have one of my favorite 'go-to' channels for info and fun shooting. Always a blast to watch you shoot and have good info ! Im sure a lot of others feel the same. Thanks!!!

I've always thought that the Square Back Colt Navy was the most elegant revolver ever made. Silver plated square back grip, Case colors. Walnut stocks. Octagon barrel. Engraved cylinder. This wasn't just a firearm, it was a work of art.

I get regular notifications of your content, and enjoy a vast majority of the things you bring to your video's. This revolver holds a special place, as it was the very first firearm I bought by myself at age 15, from a local gun shop in Southern Indiana while working as a shoe salesman most of that summer. I kept it till I was nearly 50 years old, only gifting it to my former Father-in-law about 2012. Think it's the finest black powder revolver I've ever fired, and few could match it accuracy, even with a far pricier 1860 Army, or an 1858 Remington being shot on quite a few occasions. Mine was Italian replica made in the mid-70's, with a brass frame and blued octagonal barrel, in .36 cal. I miss it today, but they have become rather costly with all the fascination with these vintage cap-n-ball black powder revolver's. I recall a price of near $100 USD in the day. Made my own hogleg holster belt and shot the hell out of that revolver throughout the next three decades. Am thrilled to catch your thoughts on one the most legendary revolver's of both the Civil War, and the taming of the West, in all the territory's during this nations expansion across the continent of North America.

I look forward to you doing one of these on the 1860 Army. It didn’t have as long of run, but fascinating gun with some definite changes throughout its production as well.

You are the primary reason that I can safely handle black powder guns. Thank you.

Thanks Mike! I really enjoyed this one! Cut my teeth on single actions. Still consider it my favorite revolver.

Very informative. Learned quite a bit about the 1851 generations.

Mike, your a treasure for us collectors and just old fashioned pistol shooters, I have a few years on you but you taught an old dog some new information every episode. Thank you

That was a very informative video and i'm sure most people wouldn't have known the different variations on the 1851 Navy Model,....i know i didn't so i've learned a lot. Thank you Mike,..that was fantastic.

Very interesting video. Learned a bunch. Got out my Uberti '72 open top & did some measuring and comparing. It was fun holding one in my lap and comparing as you went thru the various models. Thanks for another highly educational video.

You hit the nail on the head with this video, Mike! Awesome content. Glad to finally see a good, fair, accurate comparison and explanation about the Ranger/Navy revolver on this platform.

Well done! It's definitely an enduring design.

Love the look into the model. Please consider doing the 1860 and 1861 Colts and the Remington. Been a cap and ball fan for years.

I give you a thumbs up because of the quality of the content, as always.

Interesting stuff, especially at the end where you pointed out various variations from the Colt original in the reproduction guns

Interesting as always Mike. I have a Pietta in .44 so I enjoy the history of it.

Great video Mike! I like the square guard and of course the larger round ones, the Johnny Reb '51s are my favorites to shoot but to collect, it's those early 1970s Colts!

Definitely enjoyed this evolution of the Colt Navy. Really well done. 🙏thanks. 👍

Great video, thank-you for posting. I know it’s not easy for you to make videos featuring historic firearms. I’m still halfway through watching but I was particularly interested about how the pistol is put together and the development of the trigger guard. Very geeky and very interesting to learn about. Thanks again.

I appreciate the indepth information you share about the history of guns. Please keep doing what you're doing.

Thanks Mike. Excellent presentation of the Colt models as well as the imports.

Great video Mike. My brain is now bigger but it does have a leak. BTW I do get your notifications.

You are a wealth of knowledge Mike. I enjoy these sessions immensely.

I know this is about 7 months late- so you may not read it. However, your clear descriptions of the various models and and comparing it with modern replicas made me take out my old re-enacting pistol. I was actively re-enacting from about 1988-1996. I portrayed an early confederate mounted cavalryman from 1862. I had forgotten what I had bought for that. I had started out with a 1849 pocket model and then upgraded to an 1851 navy. When I took it out of my safe the first thing I rediscovered was it was an EMF import of an Army San Marco made 2nd model Navy. It looks very similar to the General Grant model you showed in your video. Loading lever screw came in from the right small loading and capping windows and either a polished steel or silver plated brass grip frame and trigger guard. If silver it is evenly tarnished but I will need to clean it up and see. It has a thick ramrod support. It has the hole for the wedge but it has the longer grease grooves of a later model. The wedge hole in the arbor and barrel do not quite line up right so the wedge cannot be driven quite all of the way in without pinching the barrel up tight against the cylinder a restricting its rotation. It never came loose on me event when getting bucked off a couple of times so that did not cause a real problem. Thanks for inspiring me to go take a look and remembering some good times on the battlefield.

The historical videos are extremely interesting. Looking forward to more.

Thank you Mick, I found this presentation of the seminal Colt 1851Navy revolver evaluation, very interesting. Please take good care of yourself, and please keep this sort of content coming, as it is greatly appreciated.👍

I've been a black powder shooter for three generations now, so it's nice to hear and I appreciate your knowledge in regards to the old guns of my youth that I had fun with and still do, thank you. R. H.

Before I got serious into reloading I had cap n ball revolvers for my first "big" guns. This vidio was really fun to watch as I've been considering a cartridge conversion 45, possibly a 38 as second choice. I'm a fan of Pietta although I have Uberti 1873 type revolvers and will take a very close look at how the Pietta conversions compare. I'd consider a cap and ball but for the price and scarcity of the caps.

Great video Mike. Thanks for the history lesson.

Fascinating video! Thank you for all your work on presenting this historical data.

Love this content Mike. Thank you! Looking forward to the Remington lesson!

Good to see you, Mike!

Outstanding, I was literally just scouring the RU-vid last week looking for History on the 1851 Navies, for some reason, I can never get enough of the percussions.

Great video and I learned a lot about one of my favorite guns. I think they are the heart and soul of the gun lineage, where my modern guns are the work horses. My real intro to the Colt Navy was in the mid 70's from an article about the intro of the presentation cased Navy and may have been the Lee/Grant like yours, I don't remember. I have always wanted one and I now know I will get an Uberti Navy soon. I have a Pietta 'Sheriff' model in 36 with 6 round cylinder, which is 30+ years old and I have never shot. You have spurred me to get the things needed and go shoot it. Thanks for the info and nudge to get the Uberti and shoot them.

I have the Pietta reproduction. It looks very much like the late 4th model. I've yet to shoot it. But it is very well balanced, timed and trued.

Always an excellent presentation. To stray from the 1851 Colt navy subject, I was wondering, since the Lyman Great Plains rifle has been discontinued, will any other manufacturer fill the void of producing a reasonably priced Hawken rifle? I know Pedersoli made the "Signature Series" for a bit, but that too seems to have been discontinued. As always, thank you Mike, for all you do for us.

I heard the 1861 navy was sam colts favorite, because it had all the refinements he wanted. I guess i could be wrong. Good video!

Great video. The Pietta 1851 Navy was my first gun. My scout troop took a trip to the Cabela's in Hamburg, PA on my 18th birthday, and they were having a sale. Asked my Scoutmaster if I could buy one, and he said "You're 18. If you want one, get one." First time I shot it, I got a ball stuck in the barrel. Lucky I didn't blow my fingers off! 😅

Mike if you look at the trigger at 28:33 one can see flash on the bottom rear of said trigger that was not removed. Also, on the reproductions I noticed that quite a few of the lines are supposed to be parallel like on the octagonal barrel do not line up that well. Mike, I always give you thumbs up and have been a subscriber for quite a while now. Thank you again Mike for a nice presentation.

never would have thought there were all these changes and sub changes to the 1851 Navy, enjoyed your presentation. I'm going to go get my Pietta 1851 now and look for these changes your discussed

Here in Bulgaria we love your videos Mike. Thank you for them!

I appreciate the historical commentary! Thank you!

Thank you for the most educational content on this platform!

Great video Mike. Thank you for all you do. Cheers.

Great in depth look at the 1851 Navy Colt. Thanks. Looking forward to the Army revolver video.

Every video you produce is informative. Thanks for the effort!

Awesome content as always!

Excellent analysis. Thank you.

Thanks for your historical context.

Outstanding video Sir! Thanks You

Great info! Thanks Mike!

Mike, l think you enjoyed making this as much as I enjoyed watching it. Thank you

Thank you very much Mike. Really enjoyed the video. Learned a lot! Keep up the great work! Cheers

Thanks for the video Mike, i really enjoyed it and it's much appreciated!

I luv history

Interesting video Mike thank you.

Thanks for the good videos on the 1851 Navy.

Lots of great info keep them coming

This was awesome. Great work on the history of this wonderful pistol.

Excellent and well in-depth video. I just purchased a Pietta 1851 through Midway, and can’t wait for it to show up so I can start smoothing out the rough edges as you describe in another video.

Great video Mike, very much enjoyed it!

Fantastic video, Mike. Very educational and thoroughly enjoyable!

Mike I'm so grateful I have a fountain of knowledge at my finger tips. You are an amazing teacher and are very entertaining to listen too.

Great video. Thank you for all you do. Really enjoy your videos.

👍 Really nice tour of the different Colt models and comparison with the current reproductions.

Great video, lots of good info, VERY interesting.

I love firearms history and this is a great channel for that. I appreciate your work!

Awesome video. Your channel is by far my favorite ! Greetings from Brazil !

Great presentation Mike!

Excellent and very informative! Thanks!

Great video, thanks for the info.

I now have several 1851 New Navy Colts. Most recent, the Wild Bill Hickok. White grips and very beautiful engraving.

Great job Mike! 😊👍👍

Nice video Mike! I learned some things about the gun I never knew. Thanks!

Great video lots of good information. Thanks

Love the content, this is good information I am going to utilize in purchasing my next 1851!

Excellent and informative video

Can't wait for the Remington video. Thanks Mike!

That was fantastic! Thank you. Now I will watch it on Rumble🤠

Thanks a lot for a good history and tech lesson! Invaluable!

Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge!!!

Great video, love the comparison between Uberti and Pietta..

Only 11hrs and allmost four thousand views your certainly doing something right regardless of you tube bias. Glad to watch your videos as always thumbs up. Thank you.

Love the video as always.....Thanks.... Just got two new Uberties 1851 and planning to deburr them as you show in one of your videos and build a nice white oak case for them. Thanks for the content, greatly appreciated.

Excellent video... my hats off to you

Great video I enjoyed it very much.

Well enjoyed. Thank you Mike.

Great video Mike on the generational differences of the 1851 Colt. I concur that Uberti has an edge over Pietta with respect to QC and overall workmanship, however every now and then one will pick up a very nice Pietta. Are you planning to do another video and discuss the Colt 1860 army? I think that would be another interesting video on the Colts series of revolvers. I completed a Kirst conversion on my 1860 Army with a five and a half inch barrel. I have found that comfort and handling with respect to shooting, I almost prefer the 1860 to the later 72 and 73 cartridge Colts when I am shooting 45 Colt cartridges. It just feels real good in the hand and it's not as tall. Of course it's only five shot but a small price to pay for the way it feels in the hand. Thanks again for a cool video on the lineage of the 1851 Colt Navy.

Mike, you are the best ! 👌🏻

Great one Sir

Merci Mike!

Great video Mike! Thank you Sir I really appreciate you and all your hard work.

Great video!!

Thanks! Great information.

Thank you for this! Very informative!

Thanks Mike.