Hummel and Soubie Gunsmiths and Dealers. This lot has three documents about Colt revolvers between two gun dealers in 1854 and 1855. One document is written in French by Armand Soubie of New Orleans to gun dealer Charles Hummel of San Antonio. Interestingly, the Soubie letter is written on the back of an original Colt broadsheet c 1854. Here Soubie describes to Hummel quoting Sam Colt; "I have never yet made any steel mounting for the army.....". The discussion would be that Soubie may have solicited Sam Colt to build what we would know today as a "Navy" revolver. Not to be confused with the Navy model revolver of 1851. The problem would be the need for a revolver that would withstand long periods of humidity or saltwater corrosion. Apparently, the revolvers in New Orleans (Louisiana) and San Antonio (Texas) suffered from electrolysis between bi-metals. "Steel mounting" then refers to replacing the brass trigger guard and backstrap on Colt revolvers of this period. Colt would later make "navy" mounted revolvers during the Civil War era where no brass hardware was used, solving the problem of corrosion at sea. The three documents are Soubie's letter on a Colt broadsheet, the letter written in French to Hummel, and a bill of lading for the transport of a case of revolvers by sea from New Orleans to Galveston. Robert Coelln Collection