Just found this
http://www.championhillrelics.com/MiscDugRelics.htm
I'd never heard of this collection before.
I started looking for information on this sort of relic after a fool practically called me a liar when I mentioned the great condition of my brother's dug up Navy Colt.
Anyway, none on this site are in as good a condition as my brother's Colt but some are in pretty good shape. Only a couple still have the grips, My brother's Colt not only has intact grips they still have almost all the original french varnish finish.
I cleaned it up and found the only mechanical damage was a broken hand where the finder had tried to turn the cylinder in the wrong condition with a pipe wrench.
Needless to say that didn't help out the cylinder scene any.
The springs are stronger than those of modern replicas. I would not hesitate to fire it if it were mine.
His Colt looks to have been unloaded when buried, the nipples are still intact. I figure that if it had fired caps in place the primer residue would have eaten away the nipples.
The bore looks like a well seasoned skillet, a little rough but not fatally so. If put in firing condition lead lapping the bore might be best before firing any bullets through it.
I might talk him in to letting me try a few blank loads using waxed tissue paper wadding. I've fired blanks like that in my replica, these could be very dangerous, one caved in the side of a steel trash can like it had been hit with a ball bat.
An 1860 Colt found by the father of a friend back in the 1950's was complete and not badly pitted, but two loaded chambers had rusted through from the inside out. It looked like it might have been fireable if the nipples were replaced and only the two chambers furthest from the rusted chambers were loaded.
The finder had ground and polished away the rusty surface, so no telling what it looked like when found.
Anyone here have a relic they'd like to show off?
When I next have my brother bring his over I'll get some pics and try to post them, its a beauty.