Were Colt Dragoon Cylinders Blued?

[B P Arn]

In another thread regarding Colt Walker revolvers, it was pointed out that the original Walker revolvers had cylinders left in the white. Does this hold true for the Dragoon models also, or were they blued?

The cylinder on my AF (1980 manufacture) Armi San Marco Third Model Dragoon is blue.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Yip.

 

[B P Arn]

That was quick! Thank you.

 

[condorsp]

I found this original early production 1st Mod Dragoon on Rock Island Auction. ($200.000.00) As you can clearly see the cylinder is in the white.

 

[B P Arn]

Hmmmmm... the plot thickens once a gain...

 

[Zonie]

"Flayderman's Guide To Antique American Firearms" says this about all of the Dragoons:

"Grips of one piece walnut.
Casehardened frame, hammer and lever; the balance blued. Gripstraps standard of brass, silver plated for civilian sales, and left unfinished for military." (p 80, 85, 86)

For those who don't know, Flayderman's Guide is one of the best sources of information about the original guns. It is designed for antique collectors who need to know the fine points of the arms they are buying.

 

[Wolfman0125]

Colt did not blue the cylinders originally on the Walker or the Dragoon models. They were only a year apart and it was thought that the bluing would wear on the cylinder anyway, also he needed to rush production to get them in the field. The Italian reproduction began in the 1970’s and it was thought that consumers would not understand why the cylinder was not blued with the rest of the gun so they decided to blue them for a more uniform look. In the movie Josey Wales, his Italian reproduction model Walker was blued. In Lonesome Dove, Gus McCrae wielded a historically accurate Walker with the cylinder left white.