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Well Documented and Rare Factory “A” Engraved Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver with Relief Carved Steer Head Grip and Factory Letter - Serial no. 354672, 32 WCF cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, original to the gun grips. The accompanying factory letter confirms the 5 1/2 inch barrel in .32-20 caliber, blue finish, grip material, and factory level “A” engraving. The revolver was shipped to Monroe Hardware Co. of Monroe, Louisiana, c/o Lexington Hardware Corp. on November 13, 1931. This was a single gun shipment. Factory engraved pre-World War II Single Action Army revolvers with blue and casehardened finishes are particularly scarce. To put this in perspective the authors of “A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver” found, “The percentage of engraved, nickel-plated Single Actions in our survey figures to be nearly 80% of Colt’s production. Approximately 10% were finished blued and casehardened, with over 65% of that total (twenty-two revolvers) having been manufactured after 1920” (page 84). The remaining totals were of various other finishes or combination of finishes. An SAA with similar “A” engraving pattern is found on page 108 of the aforementioned book. While the “factory ‘A’ style engraving has the sparest pattern and coverage,” a factory engraved SAA never falls to impress. Although not mentioned in the factory letter, the fantastic relief carved steer head on the right grip panel is most certainly factory and original to the gun. The steer head is typical of the style Colt carved on stocks of the late 1920s-early 1930s (see “A Study of Colt Single Action Army Revolver,” page 175). Both grip panels have silver Rampant Colt medallions.