Cylinder identification

[Ryzari]

So this cylinder was in my grandfather's gun safe, and I acquired it after he died almost a decade ago. I know nothing about it, I have reached out to multiple people over the years and never gotten a response back. I can't imagine him keeping something completely worthless locked up (he had a whole shop with guns/parts laying around), but I have no way of knowing if it has any value whatsoever. All of the Dragoon cylinders I can find, even with matching carvings, don't carry the blank "Patent N" marking.

 

[indyblue]

Well, it says dragoon on it. Could it be one of these?

Colt Dragoon Revolver - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Ryzari]

Well, it says dragoon on it. Could it be one of these?

Colt Dragoon Revolver - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Yes, I know which pistol it goes to, but I can't determine what year or version. If it's an original or a repro.

 

[indyblue]

Ahhh, gotcha. Sorry, no help then. I'm sure someone with more Colt history will be along.

 

[Leadeye]

From the general condition and particularly the hand notches I would say it's a repro, maybe replaced by someone during a cartridge conversion.

The detail on the cylinder looks like Colt manufacture though.

Top gun is an 1849 Colt from the 1850s, you can compare the general wear to a Colt second generation 1860 and an ASM Dragoon.

 

[Leadeye]

 

[Ryzari]

From the general condition and particularly the hand notches I would say it's a repro, maybe replaced by someone during a cartridge conversion.

The detail on the cylinder looks like Colt manufacture though.

Top gun is an 1849 Colt from the 1850s, you can compare the general wear to a Colt second generation 1860 and an ASM Dragoo

The only thing I've been able to narrow down in my research is that the cylinders only said "US Dragoons" on a "few late production 1st Model revolvers and early production 2nd Model revolvers as well as Third Contract military 1st Dragoon revolvers in the 5000-6500 serial number range."
The problem is, every Colt example of those I can find also has a "Colt's Patent" marking, vs mine which says "Patent Nº". The reproduction Uberti/Cimarrons are also labeled Model USMR instead of the "dragoons" labelling, and the patent doesn't match. Howell and other repros don't have the etched rider around the cylinder. Mine also doesn't have a serial number on it, which every repro has.
So the dilemma is, it's either super rare, or it's super generic.. there's just not enough info I can find to tell which. I'd hate to get rid of it and have it be something special, especially knowing how particular my grandpa was about his firearms.

 

[Leadeye]

The only thing I've been able to narrow down in my research is that the cylinders only said "US Dragoons" on a "few late production 1st Model revolvers and early production 2nd Model revolvers as well as Third Contract military 1st Dragoon revolvers in the 5000-6500 serial number range."
The problem is, every Colt example of those I can find also has a "Colt's Patent" marking, vs mine which says "Patent Nº". The reproduction Uberti/Cimarrons are also labeled Model USMR instead of the "dragoons" labelling, and the patent doesn't match. Howell and other repros don't have the etched rider around the cylinder. Mine also doesn't have a serial number on it, which every repro has.
So the dilemma is, it's either super rare, or it's super generic.. there's just not enough info I can find to tell which. I'd hate to get rid of it and have it be something special, especially knowing how particular my grandpa was about his firearms.

The Colt forum might shed some light on it.