Pietta's 1851 Navy in Old Silver is a .36 caliber single-action cap-and-ball revolver with a 7.5-inch octagonal barrel and a six-shot cylinder. The steel frame carries the Old Silver finish, with silver-toned trigger guard and backstrap to match, and the grips are walnut. An exposed hammer and fixed iron sights round out the layout. It weighs 2.64 pounds and measures 13.2 inches overall.

The silver-toned finish is the reason to pick this version over a blued one, and it makes this Navy a display revolver as much as a shooter. For range use it is a classic percussion piece: load each of six chambers with powder, ball and cap, then enjoy the smooth single-action handling the 1851 pattern is known for. Reenactors and collectors of Colt-pattern reproductions get the .36 caliber the original Navy used, and a new black powder shooter gets a full-size frame that is easy to learn on.

Key features

• .36 caliber percussion revolver, single action
• 7.5-inch octagonal barrel
• Old Silver steel frame, silver-toned guard and backstrap
• Walnut grips, six-shot cylinder
• Fixed iron sights, 2.64 pounds

It ships to the FFL dealer you select at checkout, where Form 4473 and the background check are completed before you take it home.