Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver with ivory grips presented by Johnny Cash to Gene Ferguson of Columbia Records, serial #206375, .36 caliber, 7 1/2" octagon barrel with a very good bore that has light pitting within the grooves. This is an 1868-made, 4th type revolver that has matching numbers on the frame, barrel, cylinder, gripstraps, wedge, and cylinder arbor. The metal has an overall dull, pewter gray patina mingling with thin, plum-brown freckling along the surfaces. Additionally, there are hints of muted color case-hardening still present on the frame. The brass trigger guard and backstrap have a dull yellow-ochre patina throughout. The one-piece ivory grip is in good condition, with mellow age-toning to a pale caramel color, and dark age cracks at the butt on both sides. The lock-up is tight and the action is fully functional, but the sear is worn and slips when the hammer is fully pulled back.
The revolver is accompanied by a framed presentation letter signed by Johnny Cash, March 17, 1962, stating that this "1851 Navy Colt with Ivory Grips in Caliber 36, Serial Number 206375" was a gift to Gene Ferguson as "a token of my friendship." Gene Ferguson was a longtime promotions executive with Columbia Records, and a close friend of Johnny Cash from 1957 until Cash’s death in 2003. He discussed their relationship—and the guns that Cash gifted him—in a 2016 interview for the NRA Blog. As a fine Colt 1851 Navy with a documented connection to one of the most well-respected figures in 20th-century music, this is a remarkable piece of American history.
This is an antique firearm and transfers with no federal restriction.
