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Villa was born Jose Dorotea Arango Arambula (1878-1923), but is much better known as Pancho Villa and remains one of the most famous Mexican generals of the Mexican Revolution and retains a “Robin Hood” type persona thanks to his work to redistribute wealth from some of the wealthier landowners to the poor in Northern Mexico. He is also known to have been a ruthless bandit and general employing brutal tactics against his real and perceived enemies. He is known
to have used a variety of firearms throughout his life, including Colt Single Action Army revolvers, as he fought with and against a series
of Mexican leaders during in the early 20th century. As a teenager,
he claimed to have killed Agustin Lopez Negrete who had raped his sister, stole a horse, and fled and joined up with an outlaw gang and lived as a bandit. He was forced into the Federal Army in 1902 after being arrested for theft and assault but soon deserted. The next year, he killed an army officer and stole his horse. He continued his banditry until 1910 when it took on a more revolutionary bend under the advice of Abraham Gonzalez. With the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution that year, Villa supported Francisco Madero and won multiple victories earning him growing fame and power and a promotion to colonel from Madero. During Madero’s presidency, Villa struck General Victoriano Huerta after the general called him a horse thief and bandit. Spared execution by firing squad thanks to his connections with Madero,
Villa was imprisoned but escaped on Christmas in 1912 and fled to the United States. After Huerta came into power, Villa’s ally Gonzalez was assassinated by Huerta’s men, and Villa joined with Venustiano Carranza and other revolutionaries to throw Huerta out of power
and then turned against Carranza when he came into power. As a revolutionary general, he continued his bandit ways, robbing trains and extorting funds from his enemies, but he also saw additional major victories on the battlefield in 1913 and 1914 before his famous Division del Norte suffered significant defeats at the Battle of Agua Prieta and Battle of Celeya in 1915, and he became more of a resistance leader than a general commanding an army. His attack on Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916 led to the U.S. Army crossing the border into Mexico to hunt him down and almost brought the two countries to war. Neither Carranza’s men nor the Americans could capture “La Cucaracha”
(The Cockroach), and he continued to resist and launched another campaign in 1919 including attacking Juarez. With the assassination of Carranza, Villa made a deal and retired, but he was himself assassinated in a hail of gunfire in Parral on July 20, 1923.
CONDITION: Very fine with crisp engraving, 80% plus of the original retailer applied nickel plated finish with loss mainly on the muzzle
and cylinder, mild pitting concentrated at the muzzle on the left, and generally minor overall wear. The grip is fine and has some chipping at the upper left, numerous age stress lines, and a distinct, well-executed raised relief carved steer head on the left. Mechanically excellent. This is certainly a stunning and fascinating revolver documented as soft shipped from the factory and featuring stunning New York engraving, a left handed steer head carved grip, and desirable “F. VILLA” inscription. Provenance: The Gunter Schmitt Collection;
Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000
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