This might come as a surprise to you, but—the cowboy movies lied to you, constantly. No, the gunmen roaming the plains did not use a Winchester Model 1892 or Colt Single Action Army as early as the 1840s, despite what John Wayne told you. You might as well have an M16 rifle in a World War I film—that’s about the level of historical accuracy in most of these films. And along with the anachronistic firearms, another thing the old-time oaters always fudged was what guns were actually used in the 1800s. There were a lot more than just Colts, Smith & Wessons, Remingtons and Winchesters, and there was even a lot of diversity in the guns from those manufacturers. This Colt New House hide-out gun is the perfect example, although this one was never used in a barroom shootout in a mining town. Rootin’ tootin’ revolvers @ TFB: The Rimfire Report: Up-Close With a First-Issue Smith & Wesson Model 1 Top 5 Most Expensive Firearms Sold in May 2019 Rock Island Premiere Firearms Auction Rare Smith & Wesson Lever-Action Rifle to be Auctioned at RIAC Wheelgun Wednesday: Horace Smith's Engraved S&W Revolver An age-old needColt was the king of the wheelgun world in the 1800s, even though other manufacturers made arguably better revolvers. That’s because Colt’s reputation was built on the rough, tough frontier; they were the first company to sell revolvers, and their handguns were arguably the reason that Texans were able to fight off the Comanche warriors during the 1840s and 1850s. That was the start of decades of revolver firepower dominating the West, from the Mexican-American War to the California Gold Rush to the Civil War and the Indian Wars. Colt made full-sized revolvers that dominated the battlefields as well as personal conflicts in frontier towns. But just like now, some people wanted smaller handguns, whether they needed to conceal them for self-defense purposes or they had other reasons. Colt’s Model 1849 revolver was their best-selling percussion model, selling even more than the Model 1851 and the Model 1860, both popular in the Civil War. But after the Civil War, cartridge technology’s quick advance made the Model 1849 obsolete; Colt needed a hideout handgun that used convenient cartridges, not clumsy cap-and-ball.In 1873, Colt went all-in on cartridge revolvers. They debuted the Single Action Army, aka the Peacemaker, but they also started their New Line series. These were small-bore hideout handguns, mostly chambered for rimfire cartridges just like Smith & Wesson’s extremely popular Model 1 and Model 1 ½. During the Civil War, Smith & Wesson’s small-bore pistols had proven extremely popular with soldiers who needed compact firepower, and Colt wanted in on that market.The Colt New Line models started with a .22-caliber revolver, produced 1873-1877, and a .32-caliber model produced 1873-1884 (.32 rimfire loads were very popular for self-defense up through the end of the 1800s). A .30-caliber option hit the New Line series in 1874, lasting until 1876, and there was a .38-caliber model from 1874 through 1880. The big-bore model was a .41-caliber model, sold 1874-1879.Note that the New Line revolvers were also available in centerfire versions, for .32-caliber, .38-caliber and .41-caliber. There was a lot to choose from here.Unfortunately for Colt, the onslaught of other cheap competition meant they didn’t make as much money off their small pocket pistols as they’d hoped (the same fate befell Remington’s so-called “sawhandle” rimfires). Hopkins & Allen, Iver Johnson and countless other manufacturers flooded the market, and Colt focused more on its full-sized revolvers than its smaller handguns, although they did continue to manufacture models like the New Pocket and New House revolvers until the John Browning-designed Pocket Hammerless semi-auto came on the scene in 1903, turning the CCW game on its ear.Read enough old-time cowboy stories, the ones that are true and not from Hollywood, and you’ll realize that many men on the plains carried hideout revolvers like the New Line or New House, and you’ll also see that many switched to automatics as soon as they realized the firepower advantages. The firepower of the late-era Wild West was more akin to The Wild Bunch than it was High Noon. This revolver hereThe .38-caliber centerfire revolver seen here is obviously not a cheaply made Saturday Night Special. It is one of Colt’s later-production self-defense revolvers, in the New House line.It features much engraving, and an inscription says it was made for William J. Collins, an employee of Colt as well as an officer in the Connecticut National Guard. It comes with plenty of documentation:“The included factory letter confirms the current configuration, including the engraving, inscription, and grips, as well as sale and shipment to Henry C. Hallaver [sic] at the Colt Factory on 14 June 1893. The back strap of the revolver is inscribed "Presented to Wm J. Collins by his friends June 18th 1898". In included copies of the 1890 Hartford, Connecticut Geers City Directory Henry C. Hallauer is listed as a gunsmith/assembler at the Colt factory. William J. Collins is listed in the same directory as a driller at Colt.” Here’s the man who originally owned the revolver! Unlike many of these older revolvers at auction, this Colt is in excellent shape, even under close inspection. Here’s what the Rock Island Auction Company says about its condition:“Retains 97% plus of the untouched original nickel finish with a few scattered patches of light flaking, some scattered light handling marks, and crisp engraving overall. The grips are very fine with a few scattered light handling marks. Mechanically excellent.”For more details, see their listing here. It goes up for auction on August 21, and Rock Island expects it will get between $15,000 and $25,000.All photos: Rock Island Auction