Help Identify

[Damiata]

I am new here and this looks like a great forum.  I am looking at buying a C&B revolver that I would like some more info about.  It is a Pietta, .44 cal. 5 1/2" octagon barrel, with a cartouche of some sort on the lower left grip.  Pietta calls it their "Hartford" model.  Does anyone know what that is a copy of.  I have been looking for quite a while on the web and can not seem to match it to an original Colt.  Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks 

[filmokentucky]

Without a picture it is almost impossible to help you. Pietta and others have made a number of C&B revolvers in configurations that never existed in period: .44 caliber 1851 Navys for example. If you can post a photo, it would be very helpful.

[coyotejoe]

I think I know what you're talking about and it is a "fantasy gun", a replica of a gun that never existed. Cabelas is infamous for spewing out a bunch of crap to sell such guns. They have one they call the Texas Marshal or something like that and claim it was very popular with U.S. Marshals in Texas during the reconstruction but no such gun was ever produced at that time. They have another they call the "1862 Army/Police" which is really just an 1861 Navy model with a fluted cylinder and 5 1/2" barrel. Again, no such gun was ever produced during the blackpowder era. What you're looking at is another fantasy gun, Colt never produced a .44 caliber with a 5 1/2" octagon barrel. I'm not saying it won't shoot just fine nor that you won't enjoy it, just that  it is not a realistic replica of any original Colt.

[Damiata]

That was my suspicion.  Thanks.  It is a neat looking gun and I am sure will be fun to shoot.  Loading lever is a bit short and that might be a problem.

[coyotejoe]

I doubt you'll have a problem with the loading lever on a 5 1/2" barrel, it still provides good leverage, but it may be easier on the hand to carry along a short length of steel tubing to slip over it as a cheater bar, just don't get carried away and break something.