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Factory Letter - Serial no. 350327, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/ casehardened finish, original grips. A gold standard in Colt and fine high art firearms collecting, this factory engraved and inscribed SAA revolver has a
story to tell and is certainly worthy of the finest collection. It is a stunning example of custom Colt artistry of the inter-war period done in the hand
of Colt Master Engraver Wilbur Glahn. The floral scroll engraving on this
Colt SAA is consistent with other revolvers cut by Glahn. Note in particular
the “V” shape design behind the hammer which has been seen on other
Glahn engraved Single Actions. See, for example, SAA no. 343242 as pictured
in Wilson’s “The Book of Colt Engraving” (page 299) for a similar Glahn cut
B grade coverage engraving and relief steer head carved grip. For no. 343242
the carved grip is also factory, and Wilson attributed the rare grip to Glahn. It is,
therefore, reasonable to conclude that the carved grip worn by this SAA was also
done by Glahn. This wonderful piece of steel canvas is pictured and identified in
the aforementioned publication on page 302, where Wilson cites it as an example
of Glahn’s work, noted “the rarity of a monogram on the butt (H.O.M.) and the
hand inscribed marking [COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER] on the ejector tube,” and
identified the original owner as H.O. Marietta of Des Plaines, Illinois. In addition,
the revolver is pictured in Wilson’s “Colt Engraving” on page 389 and “The Colt
Engraving Book, Volume Two” on page 573. Glahn executed the majority of Colt’s
factory engraving between 1919 and 1950, but only a select number of SAAs
were engraved by Glahn since a significant percentage of the Single Action Army
revolvers that were factory engraved were engraved before Glahn even arrived
in Hartford.
The H.O.M. initials are for Harry O. Marietta of Des Plaines, Illinois. As confirmed
by his included business card, Marietta served as treasurer to the Chicago
based land surveying company of Chicago Guarantee Survey Co. Additional
information comes for a Des Plaines Public Library genealogy request. Marietta
was active in Civic Affairs and was a member of the Board of the Des Plaines
Park District. After his wife, Grace, died in 1952, Marietta married his widowed
sister-in-law, Theresa. He died at the age of 83 in 1967. In 1961, our consignor
purchased the revolver from dealer F. Theodore Dexter. In his accompanying
letter Dexter recounts how this revolver first came to him as well as sheds
light on the history behind the unusual “Colt Frontier Six Shooter” marking.
He wrote, “In 1928, a Kansas City, MO businessman brought this Colt revolver
to me. He said that he had ordered it, as he wanted to have a Colt just like his
father had. The barrel on the left side is of course stamped “45 COLT” but on
the ejector housing is ‘COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER.’ I explained that ‘Colt
Frontier Six Shooter’ designated 44/40 calibre, and asked why he ordered this
put on the ejector housing. He explained that the Colt his father had said
‘Colt Frontier Six Shooter’ on the barrel, and so when ordering, as he thought
it was a .45, he had the Colt factory put the same lettering as was on his
father’s Colt on the ejector housing.” Dexter did not buy the revolver in 1928, and
did not see the revolver again until early 1961 when a man brought it to his California office.
“I did not buy this Colt and lost track of it until yesterday when a man came to my office with it, MINT just as I had seen it in 1928, and wanted me to peddle it for him. Now that Colt traveled some to make its way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Los Angeles, Calif.
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Phenomenal Benchmark Original Owner Identified Well-Documented Special Order Factory Engraved and Inscribed First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Relief Steer Head Carved Grip, Original Box, and