This ’51 Colt 2nd model Navy serial#2222 has all matching visible serial #’s incl.the wedge. I can’t make out the cyl.# but it matches the condition of the rest of the gun. The barrel is 4 1/2" and it may have left the Colt factory that way as the front sight and the crowning are definetly Colt factory workmanship. The buttstrap is  double stamped(chattered) "3 Southern Express". The express is pretty clear but the Southern requires some work, basically you get So..hern which can only be one thing. When I got the gun I had no idea what the "Southern Express "was all about but with a little work that mystery was solved. They were originally "Adams Express Co."when the war broke out they changed their name to"Southern Express"and handled delivery for the whole Confederacy.The company home base was located in Richmond. This is one of the neatest and rarest Confederate guns I’ve every had the pleasure of owning. It would fit nicely in any Confederate or for that matter Colt collection. I have a folder containing info. on the "Southern Express" which includes a map of All there routes.
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