Colt 1855 Root .28 Cal 3.5″ Single Action Percussion Revolver Antique
SOLD FOR: $1,084.00
LSB#: LSB260622FM158
Make: Colt
Model: 1855 Sidehammer “Root” Pocket
Serial Number: 4784
Year of Manufacture: Circa 1855-1856 / Antique
Caliber: .28 Caliber
Action Type: Single Action Percussion Revolver, 5-Shot Cylinder, Side Hammer, Spur Trigger
Markings: The top flat of the octagon barrel bears the Colt’s Patent address stamping, worn but partially legible: “1855” and “HARTFORD CT U.S.A.” can be read. The steel butt plate is stamped with the serial number “4784”. The cylinder scene is worn smooth.
Barrel Length: 3 1/2″, Octagonal
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a small brass bead pinned to the top of the octagonal barrel at the muzzle. The rear sight is a fixed notch milled into the rear of the topstrap, which carries a shallow sighting channel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The revolver is fitted with a one-piece walnut grip secured to the steel backstrap and butt plate. The wood is a dark reddish brown with handling dings, light scratches, and edge wear; there is no major damage. Overall, the stock rates in Good condition as antique.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with fouling throughout and sharp rifling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This revolver retains only about 5% of its original blue finish, worn to a smooth gray-brown patina over most surfaces. There is scattered oxidation and edge wear on the barrel flats, frame, and cylinder, and the barrel address is only partially legible. Overall, this revolver is in Fair condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The hammer cocks, the cylinder rotates and locks up with the hammer cocked, and the spur trigger releases the hammer. The creeping loading lever sits latched under the barrel. We did not fire this revolver. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Colt Model 1855 Sidehammer, nicknamed the “Root” revolver after Colt factory superintendent Elisha K. Root, was Colt’s first solid-frame percussion revolver, with a topstrap over the cylinder, a hammer mounted on the right side of the frame, a spur trigger, and the creeping loading lever. It was made from 1855 to about 1870 in .28 and .31 calibers, and the .28 caliber was dropped in 1861.
This is an early-production example, serial 4784, from circa 1855-1856. The bore is sound with sharp rifling, the barrel address is partially legible, and the action functions correctly. It is an honest, hard-wearing survivor of one of Colt’s most mechanically interesting percussion designs, and a worthy addition to an early-Colt collection.-C.M.