Sam Colt was a great believer in shoulder stocks to be used with his pistols.
Starting with the 2nd Model Dragoon, he offered them for the 3rd Model Dragoon, the 1851 Navy and the 1860 Army.
Several different attachment methods were used, the 1860 Army having the "4 screw frame".
This "4 screw" frame is often reproduced by the Italians. The "4th screw" being a fillister head screw located on both sides of the frame.
A cutout is milled into the frames grip on the bottom towards the rear.
The stocks made by Colt were even offered in a canteen style so the user could carry some sort of refreshment with him. :grin:
An original Colt stock can be worth almost as much as the guns it was made for if it is in excellent un-modified condition.
Of course, that's now.
During the war although over 50,000 pistols were made to use the stocks they were not popular with the troops.
That seems to be because even with a stock, a pistol is of limited value at distant ranges.
Also, the modern shooter who has tried these stocks on their reproduction guns found the same thing that the soldiers of the war found.
You cannot have your support hand ahead of the front of the cylinder without exposing it to flame or fragment damage.
The rear of the pistol is very close to your face and the flames and cap fragments from the fired chamber can damage your face.