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LOT 1163
Fine
Documented
J.P. Lower’s
Sons of Denver Shipped Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Letter - Serial no. 246463, 38 WCF
LOT 1160
Very Fine Colt First Generation
Single Action Army Revolver -
Serial no. 354000, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2
inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, smooth grips. Manufactured in
1930, this is a very fine example of a pre-World War II Colt Single Action Army
revolver. The top of the barrel is marked with the standard single-line address
while the left has the model and caliber marking. The left side of the frame has the
standard two-line patent date marking followed by the Rampant Colt, and “3/VP” is on the
left of the trigger guard. The matching serial number is marked on the bottom of the frame
and the left side of both the trigger guard and back strap. The cylinder is not numbered.
The assembly number “930” is marked inside the loading gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, groove rear sight, and a pair of smooth grips with Colt medallions at the tops.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 85% of the original blue finish and 80% plus of the muted original case colors with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina, primarily on edges/high spots and the grip straps. The grips are excellent with some scattered very light handling marks and a few hairline age cracks on the butts. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
LOT 1161
Documented
Winchester Shipped Colt First
Generation Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with
Factory Letter - Serial no. 244463, 44-40 WCF cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, walnut grips. The Colt Single Action Army in .44-40 W.C.F.
was named the “Frontier Six Shooter” after J.P. Moore’s Sons ordered some in 1878.
Single actions in .44-40 were particularly desirable in the West because they could use the
same ammunition as the popular Winchester Model 1873 rifles and carbines. This specific
example was actually shipped to Winchester, as documented in the factory letter, furthering
its desirability. During the period the large manufacturers, including Colt and Winchester, often
ordered arms from the other to supply their preferred large retailers and distributors in an
effort to be their sole supplier, with this revolver likely an example of that. The included factory
letter confirms the current configuration (grips not listed), as well as shipment to Winchester
Repeating Arms Co. on 15 August 1904 in a 24 gun shipment. The top of the barrel is marked
with the standard single-line address while the left has the “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER”
marking. The standard two-line patent dates followed by the circled Rampant Colt are on the left of the frame. The matching serial number is on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, and back strap, and the assembly number “6025” is marked inside the loading gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, groove rear sight, and a pair of non-factory replacement walnuts grips carved with a checkerboard pattern at the tops and starbursts at the bottoms.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 75% plus of the original blue finish and 70% of the vibrant original case colors with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina, primarily in the form of holster and handling wear. The period replacement grips are also very good with some scattered light handling marks. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 1162
Fine Antique Black Powder Colt
Single Action Army Revolver in
.41 Long Colt - Serial no. 145381, 41 Long
Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips.
Colt introduced the .41 Colt caliber to its famed Single Action Army revolver
line in 1885. Colt author David Brown passionately summarized the .41 Colt
caliber’s alluring image as: “The .41s were favorites in the West among men who wanted
something a bit less husky than the .45 or the .44-40, yet something still dependable for
man-stopping power at short ranges. The lawmen for the most part, clung to the bigger
bores; but several famous outlaws are known to have liked the .41 Colts” (see “The 36 Calibers
of the Colt Single Action Army,” p. 146). Among First Generation Single Action Army revolvers, only 16,402 left the
factory chambered for .41 Long Colt compared to 150,683 in .45 Colt, making it a comparably rare and desirable
variation. This example was manufactured in 1892, the having barrel has the single-line Hartford address on top
and “41 COLT.” on left side. The frame has the two-line patent date marking followed by the circled Rampant
Colt. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard and back strap. The assembly number “234” is marked inside the loading gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, groove rear sight, and a pair of checkered hard rubber grips with American eagles at the bottoms and Rampant Colts at the tops.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 60% plus of the original blue finish and 50% of the vibrant original case colors in sheltered areas with the balance having thinned to a smooth grey patina and a small patch of brown speckling on the cylinder. The correct style replacement grips are very fine showing a slight chocolate tone, a few light handling marks, and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.
cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. The included factory letter states that the revolver was shipped to legendary Western gun shop J.P. Lower’s Sons of Denver, Colorado, on 20 August 1903, when much of the American West remained very much wild. J.P. Lower is credited
for setting up the first firearms retailer west of the Mississippi River. Some of the most famous gun slingers of the day such as Buffalo Bill Cody
and Kit Carson purchased firearms from his Denver store. The popularity of his shop led Lower o proclaim that “he had probably armed every Colorado Territory lawman, badman, Indian
and gambler.”The previously mention factory letter also confirms the current configuration of he revolver with the grips not listed. The top of the barrel is marked with the standard single- ine address, and the right has the caliber marking. The left of the frame has the standard wo-line patent dates followed by the circled Rampant Colt. The matching serial number is
marked on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, and back strap, and the assembly number 6959” is marked inside the loading gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, groove rear sight,
and a pair of checkered hard rubber grips with Rampant Colts at the tops.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 70% of the original blue finish and 50% of the vibrant original case colors in sheltered areas with the balance having thinned to a smooth grey patina, mostly in the form of holster/handling wear. The grips are fine with some mild wear, a few scattered light handling marks, and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000
LOT 1164
Exceptionally Fine Pre-War/Post-War
Colt First Generation Single Action
Army Revolver - Serial no. 355361, 45 Long
Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened
finish, hard rubber grips. Manufactured in 1936 and
assembled after World War II, this is an exceptional
example of a First Generation Colt Single Action Army revolver.
The standard single-line address is marked on the top of the barrel while
the model and caliber marking is on the left. The standard two-line patent
dates marking is on the left of the frame followed by the Rampant Colt,
and “4/VP” is marked on the left of the trigger guard. The matching serial
number is marked on the bottom of the frame, the right side of the trigger guard and back strap, and hand marked inside the right grip (“361”). The assembly number “147” is marked inside the loading gate. A Rampant Colt is stamped on the rear face of the post-war cylinder. It is fitted with a blade front sight, groove rear sight, and a pair of checkered hard rubber grips with Rampant Colts at the tops.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, retains 95% plus of the original blue finish with a few scattered light handling marks and a faint cylinder drag line, and 80% plus of the age-mellowed case colors remain with the balance having faded to a smooth grey patina. The grips are very
fine with a few scattered light chips and handling marks and otherwise crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500
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144 Estimate: 3,500 - 5,000