There's a pretty common misconception floating around gun circles that Samuel Colt had some hand in the Single Action Army. Maybe he designed it, maybe he approved it, maybe he at least lived to see it. The reality is that Colt died in January 1862, more than a decade before the SAA ever existed. The gun that actually closes the chapter on his life's work isn't the one nestled in a holster in every western movie. It's a small, refined, five-shot .36 caliber pocket revolver that most people couldn't pick out of a lineup. The Colt 1862 Police.I've been covering the full history of the 1862 Police over on our sister site AllOutdoor in a four-part Curious Relics series that's currently in progress. If you want the deep dive, head over there. Today I want to talk about why this gun earns more respect than it typically gets, and why the Uberti reproduction of it is worth your attention.Uberti Coverage on TFB & AO: Wheelgun Wednesday: Uberti 1875 Top Break Review Curious Relics #132: The Richards-Mason Conversion Part I Curious Relics #133: Richards-Mason Conversion Part II – To The Range Curious Relics #134: Last Gun Sam Colt Made – Colt 1862 Police Part I Uberti Hunter Revolver: Bring Home The BaconThe Gun Nobody Talks About: 1862 PoliceThe 1849 Pocket Model tends to be the go-to when people talk about Colt cap & ball pocket revolvers. It's the one that gets the most attention, the most reproductions, and the most shelf space. And look, it earned that. It was a great gun for its time. But the 1862 Police is what Colt refined that concept into by the end of his life. Colt 1849 Pocket - Photo Credit: Rock Island Auction Same pocket-size frame, stronger steel, larger caliber. A five-shot .36 where the 1849 was a .31. Colt figured out he could fit a .36 cylinder in the smaller frame if he used higher-grade steel and fluted the cylinder to shed weight. The result was a gun that gave you meaningfully more “bang” without making you carry a full-size Navy or Army revolver on your hip. It's also one of the best-looking percussion revolvers Colt ever made. The round barrel, the creeping loading lever flowing up underneath it, the fluted cylinder, the brass accents. It's a clean, refined design in a way the earlier pocket revolvers weren't quite. Colt's design language was hitting its stride right at the end of his life, and the 1862 Police is the proof of that. Why It Gets Overlooked: 1862 PoliceThe 1851 Navy and 1860 Army are the two percussion Colts that get all the oxygen. They're the ones with the battlefield pedigree, the famous owners, the museum pieces. The 1862 Police never had a war to go to, not really. It was a civilian and law enforcement gun, a concealment piece. Less than 50,000 were produced before cartridge guns ended the era. It sits in the shadow of its bigger siblings and most people just walk past it. It doesn't help that its scale isn’t easily discernible in photographs or drawings. Colt 1851 - Photo Credit: Rock Island Auction The reproductions don't help. Pietta and Uberti both make versions, but they don't get the marketing push that the 1851 and 1860 reproductions get. For one thing those are cheaper on average. You'll see the Navy and Army at every gun show and in every sporting goods catalog. The 1862 Police takes a little more looking. Colt 1860 - Photo Credit: Rock Island Auction The Uberti 1862 PoliceUberti currently offers the 1862 Police in a single 5.5" barrel configuration at $529. The finish quality on the one yours truly spent time with was excellent. Deep, dark bluing on the barrel and cylinder, good case hardening color on the frame, solid fit throughout. It looks like it costs more than it does. Shooting it is a reminder of just how small this gun actually is. It feels almost like a toy the first time you pick it up, and then you remember that people carried these for real self-defense in the 1860s and the perspective shifts a little. The trigger comes in right around 2 lbs 14 oz with no creep, just a stiff wall and a clean drop. It shoots high, which is typical for guns of this era with sights this rudimentary. Groups at 15 yards ran about 3 inches and landed a couple inches above point of aim. Manageable once you dial in your hold. Cap jams are part of life with any Colt-pattern percussion revolver. The design predates most of the fixes that later guns would incorporate. Fresh Remington #10s and a decent shooting rhythm keep it running well enough. Fouling catches up around the 20 to 25 round mark, which is also pretty standard for a small-frame cap and ball. The loading lever latch is slightly undercut on the example I tested, meaning it doesn't fully snap into its notch. It dropped loose once during the session. Easy fix with a file if it's your gun. Minor in the grand scheme.Worth Your Time: 1862 PoliceThe 1862 Police is not a gun for the shooter who wants to ring steel all afternoon and go home. It's for the person who wants to hold a direct connection to the final chapter of Samuel Colt's career, shoot something that carries real historical weight, and appreciate a design that got a little lost in history. The Uberti reproduction gets you there at a price that, given the finish quality, feels fair.Sam Colt never saw the Single Action Army. He never saw the cartridge era in all its glory. What he did see, right at the end, was this little revolver. That's not a small thing. What do you guys and gals think? Did you know the 1862 Police was the last revolver Colt lived to see in production? Have any of you spent time with one, original or repro? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.