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LOT 124
Excellent Pre-World War II Colt Single Action Army Revolver in Extremely
Scarce .357 Magnum Chambering with Factory Letter - Serial no. 356571, 357 magnum cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, checkered walnut grips.
Manufactured in 1938, the .357 Magnum was the last cartridge adapted to the Single Action Army before production was shut down for WWII, with only 525 produced. As the .357 was a new cartridge at the
time, the market for revolvers chambered for it consisted of early adaptors with a need for state of the art firepower, making it virtually
a custom item. Equipped with blade front and notch rear sights, with the one line address on top of the barrel and “COLT SINGLE ACTION
ARMY .357” on the left side. The left side with the frame is marked with the two-line, three-patent dates followed by the Rampant Colt. The matching serial number is marked on the bottom of the frame and on the right side of the grip straps under the grip. The rear face
of the cylinder carries the matching last two digits, “71”. The matching assembly number “282” is marked on the right rear of the frame and
on the loading gate. “4/ VP” is marked on the left side of the trigger guard. Fitted with fancy checkered walnut grips with silver Colt medallions. The grips are numbered to another gun and have the date “4-18-82”, initials on one and name on the other. The accompanying factory letter advises that a complete record is unavailable, however it’s known that the revolver was assembled October 20, 1938 and delivered to the Shipping Room October 31, 1938 as a .357 Magnum revolver.
CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver retains 97% plus original blue finish with some minor muzzle and edge wear, some minor scratches on the cylinder and a couple of minor dings. The frame retains 95% original case colors with some fading to a dove gray. The grips are also excellent with sharp checkering. The markings are crisp and clear. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Gateway Collection.
Estimate: 11,000 - 16,000
LOT 125
Excellent First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Letter - Serial no. 307897, 38 WCF cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish,
hard rubber grips. The included factory letter states the revolver was shipped on May 7, 1909 to Simmons Hardware Co.
of St. Louis, Missouri, with a 5 1/2 inch barrel in .38-40 caliber, blue finish, and type of stocks not listed. This was a 10 gun shipment.
.38-40 WCF was one of those perfect cartridges for the Western frontier. As explained by Colt SAA expert and author David Brown, “This cartridge, as used in the Colt Single Action, made the revolver a perfect companion-piece for the Winchester .38-40 W.C.F. rifle--just as
the .44-40 revolver was a mate for the .44-40 rifle. This bottle-neck .38-40 cartridge made one of the harder-hitting of the handgun loads, and hand-loaders today know that it can be reloaded to near the modern Magnum pressures” (“The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single
Action Army,” page 150). As a .38-40 SAA shipped to St. Louis, the Gateway to the West, it is certainly possible this revolver made it to the
frontier. The barrel carries the one-line Hartford address on top and “38 W.C.F.” on the left side.
The frame has the two-line patent date marking followed by an encircled Rampant Colt. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, back strap, and
both grip panels.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 97% plus bright original high polish blue finish showing mild thinning on the grip straps, high edge wear, and cylinder drag lines. The hammer
and frame retain 95% plus original vivid case colors. The grips are also excellent with crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A well cared for St. Louis shipped Colt SAA revolver with
great appeal.
Provenance: The TTT Collection.
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Estimate: 8,500 - 13,000