I Have This Old Gun: Colt Model 1855 Revolving Carbine

** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
revcarv.jpg

Although we think of Colt percussion revolvers as being an open-top design, there was one exception with a topstrap—the Colt 1855 Sidehammer Pocket Revolver. Also known as the Colt Root Revolver, after Elisha King Root, who developed the gun with Samuel Colt, the small, graceful 1855 Sidehammer was offered in .28 and .31 calibers. And true to its name, the 1855 featured a side-mounted hammer, much in the style of percussion rifles. This feature, plus a ratchet-style, Root-patented loading rammer (later incorporated into the Model 1860 Army) and a cylinder base pin that screwed into the frame from the rear, evolved into Colt’s Model 1855 Revolving Rifle.

The initial version, the “First Model” Sporting Rifle, was introduced in 1856 and featured a walnut stock, color-casehardened hammer and loading rammer, and barrels of varying calibers and lengths. Available with six-shot unfluted cylinders in .36 and .40 calibers (both rare) as well as in .44 caliber, it was also produced in more readily encountered .50- and .56-cal. versions with five-shot cylinders. A very few .64-cal. rifles are also known to exist, along with 20- and 10-ga. shotgun variants.


The outbreak of the Civil War spurred production of Model 1855 longarms, with barrel lengths from 21" to 37". Revolving Carbines, which normally did not feature wooden fore-ends and sometimes sported saddle rings, were chambered in .44 and .56 calibers, and they had barrel lengths from 15" to 24".

While the multi-shot capabilities of Model 1855 Revolving Rifles and Carbines were a battlefield “plus,” they were offset by the frequency of multiple discharges, which could severely injure a shooter’s supporting hand unless it was positioned underneath the trigger guard, away from the cylinder. Approximately 18,300 Colt Revolving Rifles of all types were produced between 1856 and 1864, when production stopped.

At first glance, this 21"-barreled Model 1855 Carbine, with its two-banded wooden fore-end, could be mistaken for a Sporting Rifle. However, the saber bayonet lug on the barrel, the sling swivels, the three-leaf sight graduated for 100, 300 and 500 yds. and the “U.S.” tang stamping identify it as a rare government-purchased military carbine. It could also be one of the even scarcer artillery models ordered by the Army in 1859, although those came standard with 24" barrels. Unfortunately, records are incomplete. Nonetheless, as discovered on the used gun rack of American Gun Works in Glendale, Calif. (americangunworks.net), this carbine is easily worth between $9,500 and $12,000.

Gun: Colt Model 1855 Revolving Carbine
Caliber: .56
Manufactured: 1856-59
Serial Number: 1079*
Condition: 60 percent—NRA Very Good (Antique Gun Standards)
Value: $9,500-$12,000

*Guns were numbered according to caliber and model, and accurate records are scarce; but this gun does not have the locking screw on the upper left-hand portion of the receiver, as seen on later models, confirming its early manufacture date.

Latest

Springfield Armory Echelon Rifleman Review 1
Springfield Armory Echelon Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

CzechPoint Introduces New vz.58 Rifles & Pistols

CzechPoint USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Czech Small Arms, is now importing a number of new vz.58 rifles and pistols, including a matte "Military Black" version, as well as state-compliant models.

Handloads: A Quiet .308 Win. For Large-Format Pistols

Of the many commercial .308 Winchester loads, few, if any, are designed for barrels shorter than 16". The one that follows helps address this gap while remaining simple to suppress and light on the wrists.

Court Approves Watchtower Firearms DIP Financing

Watchtower Firearms was granted final approval for debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas in late June.

Review: Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Following the success of its .45 ACP-chambered LC Carbine, Ruger realized that this platform would go a long way toward making the 10 mm Auto more controllable and fun to shoot, and a new 10 mm version was released in 2024.

The Armed Citizen® July 14, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.