Hello from New Zealand. In John D. McAulay's book Carbines of the U.S. Cavalry 1861-1905 he lists, under Regimental Inventories for the summer and fall of 1864, the following carbines for the 2nd Colorado Cavalry: 805 Starr carbines and 86 Merrill carbines. On page 56 of another book by McAulay, U.S. Military Carbines he reproduces a drawing by George Woodbridge "showing a cavalryman of the 2nd Colorado armed with a Merrill carbine". The cavalryman is wearing an 1858 'Hardee' dress hat which 2nd Colorado apparently retained as a mark of distinction much as the soldiers of the famed Union Iron Brigade did in the Eastern theater. With regard to the 'French Dragoon' pistol question there is a reference to them in the Osprey publication The American Civil War in the Indian Territory, page 21. In the caption to a photo of Private George F. Haas, Co.A, 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, it states: "He carries the unpopular 12mm pinfire M1853 Lefaucheux revolver, known as the 'French Tranter' or 'Dragoon.' The caption goes on to quote John McCorkle of Quantrill's Raiders who noted that captured "French Dragoon pistols..were very heavy at the muzzle and none of our men could shoot them with any accuracy." The 2nd Colorado probably were armed with infantry long arms for a time when they were initially converted into cavalry until they received their Merrill and Starr carbines with the Starrs overwelmingly preponderant. I hope this helps.