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LOT 1197
Documented Antique Colt Black
Powder Frame Etched Panel Frontier
Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Letter and Leather Holster Rig - Serial no. 93306, 44 WCF cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, walnut grips. When introduced in
1877, the .44-40 W.C.F. Single Action Army, or Frontier Six Shooter, was
intended to be used in conjunction with another legendary western icon, the Winchester Model 1873 rifle, which came standard in the same chambering. “The .44-40 W.C.F. was added to the list of Colt calibers for use with the popular Winchester rifle of the same caliber,” wrote Colt author David Brown. “This
combination of a rifle and a six shooter using the same cartridge made it possible for their user to buy only one kind of ammunition, and he could carry ‘fodder’ for both guns in the same cartridge belt.” Manufactured
in 1883, this example has the standard one-line address on top of the barrel and “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER” in an etched
panel on the left. The left side of the frame is marked with the three-line patent dates. Matching serial numbers are visible
on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap, with the partial matching number is marked on the cylinder and barrel under the
ejector rod housing. The barrel is also marked “44” on the bottom, and the revolver is fitted with a smooth one-piece walnut
grip. The included factory letter confirms the current configuration as well as shipment to Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., a large
retailer/distributer in Chicago, Illinois, which sent many firearms farther into the American West. Included with the revolver is an
attractive leather western holster rig. There are no maker’s marks on the holster or cartridge belt, but they are of very high saddle-
shop quality and share many similarities with examples made by W.B. Ten Eyck out of Billings, Montana, the most prominent being the single
broad riveted loop, as well as the deeply tooled borders. A similar example by Ten Eyck is pictured on p. 110 of “Packing Iron: Gunleather of
the Frontier West” by Rattenbury. The belt has cartridge loops that appear to accommodate .44-40 cartridges, riveted billets, and a California style buckle. The holster is made to accommodate a Single Action Army with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, just like the one in this lot, and is open at the top as well as the toe.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 20% of the original blue finish in sheltered areas and crisp patterns of the original case colors with the balance mostly a smooth grey patina, a few scattered patches of light surface pitting, and a well- defined acid etched panel. The grip is also fine with some scattered minor dings, mild wear on the lower edges, a hairline crack in the lower left, and retaining most of the varnish. Mechanically fine. The holster and cartridge belt are very fine showing some mild wear with the rivets and most of the stitching remaining tight. An excellent representative grouping of a late 19th century Single Action Army along with the exact
sort of rig it would have been carried in!
Estimate: 9,500 - 14,000
LOT 1198
U.S. Rinaldo A. Carr Inspected Colt
Cavalry Model Single Action Army
Revolver with Factory Letter -
Serial no. 138066, 45 Long Colt cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, walnut grips. This is a solid representative example of a Rinaldo A. Carr inspected U.S.
Colt Cavalry Model Single Action Army revolver. The included factory letter confirms the current configuration as
well as sale to the U.S. Government and shipment to the U.S. inspector at the Colt plant on 17 February 1891, in a 200 gun
shipment. This example is one of the U.S. Colt Cavalry Model revolvers in the serial number range 131187-140361 that were
inspected by Ordnance Sub-Inspector Rinaldo A. Carr. Carr’s sub-inspector “R.A.C.” mark is found on the frame, barrel, cylinder, and bottom of the grip. The left side of the grip is stamped “1891” over an “LEB” cartouche, while the right has Carr’s faint “RAC” cartouche. “K” inspection marked are visible in the hammer mortise of the frame, on the trigger guard under the serial number, and on the butt. There are “P” proof marks on the barrel and cylinder. The top of the barrel is marked with the two line patent dates followed
by “U.S.” The matching serial number is on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, back strap, cylinder (“8066”), and barrel (“8066”). CONDITION: Very good plus, retains 25% of the original blue finish and strong traces of the original case colors, primarily
in sheltered areas, with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina and a few scattered small patches of
light pitting. The grip is very good with legible cartouche on the left, faint cartouche on the right, mild wear, a few minor
chips around the bottom edges, and some scattered light handling marks on the balance. Mechanically functions fine, but is slightly out of time. A chance to add a solid representative example of a Carr inspected U.S. Cavalry
Model to your collection!
Provenance: Richard Peters, USMC, Reserves Law Enforcement, a Gentleman.
Estimate: 7,500 - 11,000
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