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LOT 1151
Documented Factory Engraved Etched Panel Colt Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with Highly Attractive Relief Carved Mexican Eagle Pearl Grip and Factory Letter - Serial no. 86938, 44-40 WCF cal., 4 3/4 inch round bbl., nickel finish, pearl grips. The .44-40 WCF SAA has found a special place in the hearts of Peacemaker collectors. When introduced in 1877, the .44-40 WCF SAA was intended to be used in conjunction with another legendary Western icon, the Winchester Model 1873 Rifle, which used the same cartridge. As a factory engraved example, this Frontier Six Shooter is certainly one of the rarer and more highly sought after SAAs. In “The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver 1873-1895,” the
authors accounted for a grand total of only 421 factory engraved SAAs chambered in .44-40 WCF in the 1-164100 serial number range.
Not only is this one of those rare factory engraved examples,
it also has an interesting shipping history that is part of the Colt legacy.
The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was
shipped to Simmons Hardware Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, on February 10, 1883 as part of a ten gun shipment with a 5 1⁄2
inch barrel in .44-40 caliber, nickel finish, factory engraving, and type of stocks not
listed. The factory letter goes on to state, “Our records also indicate this gun was
returned by the Simmons Hardware Co. on February 2, 1887 to have the barrel changed
from 5 1⁄2” to 4 3⁄4”. The gun was re-shipped to Simmons Hardware Co. on February 14, 1887. We are unable to explain the reason for the small letter
‘S’ being stamped with the serial number.
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