Successor to the massive Colt Walker and early Dragoon variants, the Colt 3rd Model Dragoon provided hard-hitting .44 caliber horseback stopping power for the U.S. Mounted Rifles and frontline cavalry. Produced in 1858 on the eve of the Civil War, this heavy horse pistol saw combat service in frontier operations and across major theaters of the American Civil War.

Mechanical & Structural Highlights

• Four-Screw Stock Cut Frame: Specially engineered with extended frame screws and recoil shield cutouts to secure an auxiliary shoulder stock, instantly converting the sidearm into a carbine.

• Folding Leaf Rear Sight: Factory-installed dual-leaf rear sight dovetailed on the barrel flat, calibrated for precision elevation when fired from the shoulder.

• Barrel & Cylinder: 7.5-inch round barrel with flat top lug chambered in .44 caliber, accompanied by a 6-shot cylinder roll-engraved with W.L. Ormsby’s famed Texas Ranger and Comanche battle scene.

• Hardware & Grips: Features the characteristic 3rd Model rounded brass trigger guard, matching brass backstrap, and original one-piece oil-finished American walnut grip.

• Function & Patina: Tight mechanical lockup, crisp cylinder indexing, clear Hartford barrel address, and an untouched, mellow plum-brown antique patina.

Source & Provenance (Sauce)

• Manufacturer: Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co., Hartford, Connecticut.

• Year of Manufacture: 1858 (Serial No. 16929 verified in Hartford factory ledger records).

• Configuration Rarity: Less than an estimated 10% of total Dragoon production left the factory with the dedicated four-screw shoulder stock configuration and folding rear sight.

• Matching Markings: Matching serial numbers stamped across the frame, barrel lug, trigger guard, backstrap, cylinder pin, and wedge.

Availability

Available at: Armfoundry.com