The Gettysburg 1863 Revolver
When you see the Gettysburg 1863 Revolver, designed after the classic Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, you’ll know why it earned the respect of soldiers on both sides of that conflict in July, 1863.
Feeling its solid weight in your palm, you’ll begin to understand the confidence of the Confederates who carried it up the slope of Cemetery Ridge, into the heart of the Union defenses.
Listening to the smooth click of the hammer, you can also visualize the Union officers taking aim to protect that three-mile-long defensive line, desperately trying to hold the Union together. If this battle was lost, all could be lost, and they knew it.
Studying the detailed, 24-karat gold scenes on the cylinder, you can feel the agony of these two seasoned and capable armies in a bloody battle to decide the future of our nation.
Like anyone who has thrilled to the story of America’s Civil War, I know that accounts of the Battle of Gettysburg inspire powerful images and emotions to this day. Still, no book or movie can bring these emotions to life as powerfully as just holding the Gettysburg 1863 Revolver.
A Reproduction Of The Classic Colt Model 1860 Army
The United States Society of Arms & Armour and America Remembers, in cooperation with the Civil War Preservation Trust, have commissioned the incomparable artisans of Uberti, whose master craftsmen have painstakingly reproduced the greatest firearms for more than four decades, to produce this exacting detailed reproduction of the Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver, the trusted and treasured sidearm of the men in blue and gray alike.
Although surprisingly light at only 2 pounds, 10 ounces, the classic Model 1860 Army nevertheless packed a powerful .44 caliber wallop. This unique combination of easy handling and heavy firepower made it the most desired weapon of its day.
Certainly, the Model 1860 Army was appreciated by the men who carried it in Gettysburg. They knew that a dependable weapon would make the difference between victory or defeat in perhaps the most important battle they would ever fight.
All through the fighting, from Culp’s Hill to Round Top, from Devil’s Den to the Peach Orchard, both armies used the gun with devastating efficiency.
Recreating The Drama Of Pickett’s Charge
But of all the events that made the Battle of Gettysburg so famous, it was “Pickett’s Charge” that elevated it to the realm of legend. On the afternoon of July 3, Major General George Pickett and a mile-wide line of as much as 15,000 Confederate men began a steady, deliberate march toward the center of the Union line of defense.
As individuals in this massive wave fell to enemy fire, their comrades closed the ranks with awe-inspiring precision and the march continued. Finally, a few dozen men broke through the Union line atop Cemetery Ridge and vicious, toe-to-toe fighting began under a thick cloud of powder smoke.
I know you’ll be especially impressed with the way “Pickett’s Charge” is recreated on the Gettysburg 1863 Revolver with a breathtaking 24-karat gold panorama that wraps completely around the cylinder. The absolute accuracy of this illustration, down to the smallest detail, must be seen to be believed.
From uniforms to weapons, from the leaves on the trees to the Gettysburg farmhouse in the distance, this amazingly detailed and dramatic work of art is made all the more exciting by the beauty of 24-karat gold against blued steel.
Complementing this illustration are gold inscriptions on each side of the barrel. On the left side are the words, “Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1863,” and on the right, an excerpt from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”
For me, these gold decorations merely highlight the already impressive beauty of the classic Colt Model 1860 Army. Featuring a frame and 8-inch barrel finished in handsome blued steel and grips of the finest select walnut, the Gettysburg 1863 is a masterpiece of American design.
With care and attention to each detail, the world’s greatest gunsmiths have recreated this American classic as only they can. As they assemble the gun, they check and recheck their work after each step to ensure complete accuracy. The result is a working firearm that shows the talent, care, and dedication of its builders in its every detail.
The Civil War Preservation Trust
This same care and dedication is mirrored in the work of the Civil War Preservation Trust. The Civil War Preservation Trust is America’s largest national membership organization dedicated to working with communities to preserve the sites of some of the Civil War’s greatest battles, so that these last great, tangible remnants of our Civil War heritage are preserved for future generations.
Your reservation for the “Gettysburg 1863” Revolver will aid the Civil War Trust at sites like Gettysburg, Antietam, Harpers Ferry and many other battle sites threatened by urban development and commercialization. Please visit the Civil War Preservation Trust at www.civilwar.org.
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