Yes. My 1856 vintage navy came with the blade style sight. Swayzes book details this I believe, don't have access to mine right now but will be home tomorrow and post the details if no one else has by then.

 

As far as I know either dovetail or blade sight could be ordered by the factory. Some are also gunsmith modifications.

 

Yes, blade or dovetail front sights could be ordered to be installed on Colt Navies and is mentioned in the Nathan L. Swayze book “ 51 Colt Navies”.
Jim

 

Here is a photo of my Model 1851 with a blade front sight. Actually three different types of front sights were available, post, dovetail and blade. The blade is the rarest variety. I don't know if you had to specifiy which one you wanted when the gun was ordered from Colt and I don't know if a Colt Archive Letter would show the details if other than a post front sight was specified.

 

Here is a photo of my Model 1851 with a blade front sight. Actually three different types of front sights were available, post, dovetail and blade. The blade is the rarest variety. I don't know if you had to specifiy which one you wanted when the gun was ordered from Colt and I don't know if a Colt Archive Letter would show the details if other than a post front sight was specified.

View attachment 601203

Isn't that a dovetail sight? (dovetailed in the barrel)

 

This information is very helpful as always. Thanks to everyone.

 

"As far as I know either dovetail or blade sight could be ordered by the factory. Some are also gunsmith modifications."

Is there a way to tell what is factory and what is a period gunsmith modification? I have noticed a bunch of different styles of blade and/or dovetailed blade sights. Brass, silver, different size bases and different size blades, ect.
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That would be difficult to tell. Sometimes you also see sights mounted on the rear of the barrel, same story basically.

 

Here's a pretty beat up Navy but it is the first one I've come across that has a genuine blade front sight.Colt 1851 Navy Revolver for sale.

 

Sorry, sir, but how do you know that the blade sight is genuine? The hammer screw is from someone's parts bin and is not long enough to even show on the right side of the frame. The front TG screw and the bottom backstrap are probably from the same spare hardware box. The wedge spring is missing. The trigger guard is definitely bent as it only contacts the frame at the front and rear screws, if that. No wonder why the cylinder does not lock up on the bolt, and the bolt is probably as worn as the cylinder stop slots.

At $695 it is pitiful. If I bought it for $50 the wallhanger box that I would display it in would be worth more money.

Jim

 

The patina of the front sight matches with the overall patina of the barrel. There is no indication there was ever a hole drilled and tapped for the pin front sight, nor a mill cut for the dovetail. That leads me to believe it is original, from the factory.

I agree on the condition, which indeed worth 50$ max, I just used it an example from their (overpriced) assortiment.
Yes it has been messed with but I cannot see Bubba installing a blade front sight this nice looking and neatly covering up the front sight pin hole like that, with matching patina.

Hope this helps.

 

The 1851 Colt Navy that was passed through the generations in my family from either Civil War or pre-Civil War times has a blade sight. I guess it's hard to say for sure whether it started out that way or was modified, but there were definitely some with blade sights. I have photos of several others like this, references in books, and even copies of old Colt diagrams that seem to show blade sights.

I'm having trouble with the file uploader this morning or I'd show more, but here is one pic of the blade sight on our Colt.

View attachment colt_navy_london_071.jpg