CAP & BALL REPLICA COLLECTING

Since the advent of the reproduction of Black Powder Revolvers in the 1950’s, the interest in these guns as collectable has increased greatly. The reintroduction of the official Colt Black Powder Revolvers in the early 1970's further increased this interest, especially among already established Colt collectors. There were many manufacturers of these "replica" revolvers, which opens another new area of collecting.

Originally replica cap and ball black powder revolvers were manufactured for the shooting public because of the increasing value of original guns, even those in poor condition. It became prohibitive to continue shooting old original guns from the standpoint of both value and safety. Thus, the manufacture of the modern production replica black powder revolver came into being. As with any collectable item the situation which makes it collectable is an interest in the item and limited availability. Value escalates as a result of an increasing number of collectors, which represents a demand, and a limited supply. Long time firearms collectors can remember the weapons of World War II and their dramatic appreciation. At the end of WWII the German Luger could be purchased for $10 and up. With the publishing of Harry E. Jones' book, "Luger Variations", the interest escalated very rapidly. The results of this interest can be seen in the value of Lugers today. The same was true of the Colt 1911-M1911A1 and it’s variations, and the German P-38 pistol.

There are several reasons why the replica black powder revolver is gaining popularity as a collectable item. First, there were several manufacturers, which made various models of these pistols. Second, there were several importers who marked their guns as their product (Navy Arms, Dixie Gun Works, Replica Arms, EMF, etc.). These guns, for the most part, are no longer marked as such which creates even another variation. Third, the numbers of these guns are dwindling because of attrition from shooting, destruction, etc. The supply is shrinking as the demand increases. Fourth, at this time it is financially feasible to collect these guns because their price is low in comparison to original revolvers of the time period. A person could build a sizeable collection with a modest investment. Fifth, at present there are no restrictions on the sale of black powder revolvers and this will hopefully remain so.

As with any new collectable it starts with a few who do the research as to what is available and organize these items into a collection. With the replica black powder revolver there is not much information. A lot of the manufacturers are gone, along with their records. The same is true of the importers who marked their guns. When enough information is acquired as to what the variations are, and a logical way to organize a collection, then the interest in these guns will increase dramatically, along with their value. Hopefully the pages of Cap and Ball Revolvers will assist you in beginning or continuing your black powder percussion replica collection.