Colt First Model Dragoon, serial 8191, made in 1850, .44 caliber with a 7.5-inch barrel, and one of the experimental fluted examples of which only a handful were made. The metal retains 98 percent of a silver plated finish, which the seller does not believe to be later, non-factory work. It was once in the John Parsons collection and was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Arnold Marcus Chernoff sold it in 1977, and it has stayed in that buyer's collection until now. A binder of documentation accompanies it. Condition is very fine.

This is an antique Colt for a serious New Mexico collector, and the paper trail matters as much as the gun: the Parsons provenance, the Metropolitan Museum display and the 1977 Chernoff sale are all covered in the accompanying binder. With only a handful of fluted First Models made, serial 8191 is identifiable on its own. As an antique it ships without the dealer process used for modern firearms.

Key features

• .44 caliber, 7.5-inch barrel, made 1850
• Experimental fluted First Model, only a handful made
• 98 percent silver plated finish
• Ex John Parsons collection, shown at Metropolitan Museum
• Binder of documentation included

As an antique this Colt ships to your door in New Mexico, no FFL needed.