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LOT 132
Extremely Rare Documented Elongated Grip Black Powder Colt London Single Action Flattop Target Revolver with London Retailer Case and Factory Letter - Serial no. 144729, 450 Eley cal.,
7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Offered here is an antique black powder Colt Single Action Army Flattop Target Revolver that letters with extended grips and in .450 Eley, a desirable caliber that has bemused Colt collectors for decades. In “The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver 1872-1895” on page 46 the authors write, “An interesting fact became evident when comparing listings in the Colt ledgers with copies of the actual invoices found
in the Connecticut State Library. The designation ‘Eley’ or ‘Boxer’ was used interchangeably. Revolvers listed in .45 Eley in the record ledger may be listed on the shipping invoice as .45 Boxer and vice versa.” The authors accounted for a total of 275 SAA .450 Boxer/Eley Flattop Target Revolvers falling in the 1-164100 serial number range and out of the 275 units 230 had a blue finish and 7 1⁄2 inch barrel like this example (page 405). In the 1880s the .450 became a popular short range target cartridge.
The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped to Colt’s London Agency, London, England, in June 1892 with a 7 1/2 inch barrel in .450 caliber, blue finish, and “extra long wood stocks.”
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