Colt New Line Pocket Revolver .30 Caliber – Manufactured in 1875

Colt – New Line Pocket

Manufactured: 1875 – Caliber: .30 – Original finish, very fine overall condition

Scarce Colt New Line Pocket revolver manufactured in 1875, retaining its original finish and excellent overall originality. Produced for only three years, the .30 caliber version represents one of Colt's early pocket revolvers designed for metallic black powder cartridges.

History

With the widespread adoption of metallic black powder cartridges during the early 1870s, Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company developed a new generation of compact revolvers intended for personal defense. Until then, Colt's pocket firearms had been largely represented by its Derringer models, whose limited capacity no longer met the growing demand for practical multi-shot handguns.

Following the commercial success of the Colt Open Top Pocket, with more than 110,000 revolvers produced, Colt introduced the New Line Revolver series in 1873. The model was offered in .22, .30, .32 and .38 calibers, with an overall production of approximately 100,000 revolvers.

Among these variants, the .30 caliber New Line Pocket is one of the least common, with only about 10,900 examples manufactured between 1874 and 1876, compared to more than 55,000 revolvers chambered in .22 caliber. Compact, lightweight and chambered for a metallic black powder cartridge, it perfectly illustrates Colt's transition toward modern pocket revolvers during the early cartridge era.

Our Revolver

This Colt New Line Pocket bears serial number 42XX, corresponding to production in 1875, the second year of manufacture for this model.

The revolver retains its original finish with an attractive, even appearance across all metal surfaces. The factory markings remain sharp, fully legible and consistent with this period of production. The original walnut grips are in very good condition and fit the frame perfectly.

Mechanically, the revolver functions properly with a crisp single-action mechanism, positive hammer engagement, strong hammer fall and precise cylinder timing. This five-shot pocket revolver is a fine representative example of Colt's production during the early metallic cartridge period.

Manufactured for only three years, the Colt New Line Pocket in .30 caliber remains a scarce variation, highly appreciated by collectors of early Colt cartridge revolvers and American Frontier firearms.