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LOT 1105
Historic Documented Texas Ranger William Sterling Owned Factory Engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Relief Steer Head Carved Pearl Grips and Letters of Provenance - Serial no. 342284, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, pearl
grips. This highly embellished Colt Single Action Army Revolver once belonged to Texas Ranger
and Adjutant General of Texas William Sterling. Sterling was a native Texan, born in Belton. When U.S. forces attempted to track down Mexican Revolution leader Francisco “Pancho” Villa prior to America’s enter into World War I, Sterling worked closely with the U.S. 3rd Cavalry Regiment as a scout and saw firsthand the slaughter of Texans
at the hands of Mexican troops. At the outbreak
of America’s involvement in World War I Sterling was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served with the Texas Infantry but never deployed overseas and instead remained at the U.S./Mexico border training new recruits. After the war, Sterling returned to law enforcement at a border town and again worked side by side with the Texas Rangers; spending much of this time catching bootleggers smuggling liquor at the border. In 1927, Sterling was appointed captain in Company D, Texas Rangers. He arrived in Borger where an oil boom attracted violent lawlessness. Sterling worked under the command of Captain Frank Hammer, who later became famous for gunning down
the infamous public enemy number one couple Bonnie and Clyde, to bring law and order back to the city. From one oil boom to the next Sterling arrived in Pettus to put down the lawlessness. In 1931, Governor Ross S. Sterling appointed the Texas Ranger adjutant general, the commander of the Texas Rangers and Texas
National Guard. Although
the two men had known each other for years and shared the same last name, there was no kinship. As adjutant general, he ditched the Guardsmen uniform and instead wore his trademark gun belt holding
a revolver inscribe “Captain Sterling” and western shirts often with bucking broncos or cattle but always embossed with “General Bill” above
the pocket. He issued new regulations and directives that transformed the biased Texas Rangers promotion system based on patronage and political influence to a system based on merit and character of the candidate. He deployed Rangers and Guardsman to
oil towns to restore order as well as to the oil producers themselves who had gotten into the habit of fixing prices. His time with the governor’s
office ended with Ross Sterling’s bid for reelection in the primary failed. During World War II, Sterling served as a commissioned officer and assisted in setting up selective service for the Eighth Service Command. Ranger Sterling went on to manage and appraise ranches and still found time to write his memoir “Trails and Trials of a Texas Ranger” (1959). In the late 1920s, sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who designed Mount Rushmore, used Sterling as a model for his planned Texas Ranger statue. He died in 1960.
The first letter of provenance (copy) is on Texas Adjutant General letterhead, is dated August 30, 1967 and is written by Sterling’s wife. In this letter Zora explains that she sold the revolver listed by serial number to Charles Schriner III. Additional information related to the ownership of this SAA is found in the second letter of provenance. Paul Sorrell states the revolver remained with Schriner from 1967 until his death in 2002 when he purchased it from the estate.
As for the revolver itself it was manufactured
in 1921 and was later returned to the factory
for engraving and refinishing. The left side of
the trigger guard has the Colt factory return ampersand mark. The engraving pattern follows the style of famed Colt Master Engraver Wilbur Glahn. Even the front sight is engraved. The sides of the hammer are jeweled. The barrel has the one- line Hartford address on top and “45 COLT” on the left side. The left side of the frame has the two-line patent dates marking followed by a Rampant Colt. The silver Rampant Colt medallion grips are pearl and feature a relief carved steer head. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, back strap, and trigger guard.
W.W. STERLING IS FRONT ROW MIDDLE
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