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LOT 1114
Excellent Colt Single Action Army Revolver with “Long Flute” Cylinder with Box and Factory Letter - Serial no. 330312, 41 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/ casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. This Colt “Long Flute” Single Action revolver was manufactured in 1913. Colt assembled 1,478 Single Action revolvers between 1913 and 1915 that utilized surplus cylinders from the Model 1878 Double Action revolvers. According to “A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver,” of the 1,478 SAAs manufactured with long flute cylinders, only 626 were produced in 1913 (page 156). The Model 1878 DA revolvers had distinctive cylinders with flutes that were 5/16th inch longer than the standard Single Action cylinders. The Model 1878 DA cylinders were altered by Colt to fit Single Action revolvers by modifying the bolt stop notches and approaches and the cylinder ratchet. The modified cylinders were then fitted with the half-length Model 1878 DA cylinder bushing. The Single Action revolvers fitted with long flute cylinders had the high polish Colt “old charcoal blue” finish not utilized on regular production Single Action revolvers manufactured from 1913- 1915. The included factory letter states the revolver was shipped on November 5, 1913 to Shapleigh Hardware Co. of St. Louis, Missouri with a 5 1/2 inch barrel in .41 caliber, blue finish, and type of stocks not listed. This was a single gun shipment. In addition to the long flute cylinder, this revolver has a hammer with border-less knurling on the spur and checkered, black, hard rubber grips with the Rampant Colt trademark in an oval at the top. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped: “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. Co. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A.” in one line. The caliber: “41 COLT.” is roll-stamped on the left side of the barrel. The left side of the frame is roll-stamped with the Colt “Three-Date/Two-Line” patent markings followed by the Rampant Colt trademark. The left side of the trigger guard is stamped with the Colt “Triangle/VP” proofmark and a “3” assembler’s mark. The full serial number is stamped on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard and back strap. The partial serial number “30312” is scratched on the inside of both grips. All of the visible serial numbers match. The assembly number “773” is stamped on the inside of the loading gate and on the right rear end of the frame beneath the grip. The barrel, ejector housing, cylinder, trigger guard and back strap have the Colt high polish charcoal blue finish. The frame, hammer and loading gate are color casehardened with vivid case colors. The trigger and screws have a correct nitre blue finish. The included Colt factory box has been renumbered to the gun and features an end label of an SAA with a 5 1/2 inch barrel in .41 caliber. CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver retains 95% plus of the bright original high polish blue finish with some very minor edge wear on the barrel muzzle, front edge of the ejector housing and edges of the cylinder face and flutes. The frame, hammer and loading gate retain 90% plus of the vivid fiery case colors. The trigger and screws have nearly all of the niter blue finish. The grips are also excellent with light handling marks. All of the markings are crisp. Mechanically excellent. This is an exceptional example of a scarce and very desirable Colt Long Flute Single Action Army revolver. Provenance: The TTT Collection. Estimate: 11,000 - 16,000
According to "A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver"
by Graham, Kopec and Moore, of the 1,478 Colt Single Actions manufactured with long flute cylinders, only 626 were produced in 1913.
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