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LOT 3137
Extraordinary Presentation Cased Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver with Magnificent Patriotic Motif Silver Inlaid Grip and Factory Letter - Serial no. 321083, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, silver inlaid wood grips. The included factory letter identify this revolver in .45 caliber with a
5 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, and wood grip and indicate it was one of two shipped to Schoverling, Daly & Gales in New York City on December 13, 1911. The counterpart to this revolver, number 320916, was formerly in the Robert Q. Sutherland collection. It is pictured and described on page 254 of “The Book of Colt Firearms” by R.L. Wilson where the two revolvers are noted as cased by craftsman Lewis Woyce and fitted with silver inlaid grips by John Boss Jr., both of Philadelphia, for presentation in 1956 by Raymond L.J. Riling (1896-1974) to his identical twin sons: Joseph Raymond and Raymond Joseph Riling. The elder Riling was a Philadelphia architect and builder and became an important arms book collector, dealer, author, and publisher. A widely published newspaper article in 1940 noted Riling as already having a collection of 500 pistols and revolvers and many historic western arms
such as a revolver owned by Billy the Kid, a gold inlaid and engraved Winchester identified as made for Wild Bill Hickok for him to give to Calamity
Jane, and a revolver carried by Frank James. Many influential firearms collecting books were published by Ray Riling Arms Books Co. in the 20th century and into the 21st century. Among his own works were “Guns and Shooting: A Bibliography” and “The Powder Flask Book.”
Joseph Riling (1924-2009), also known as Captain Joe, took over his father ‘s business and
authored “Art and Science of War in
America: Bibliography of American
Military Imprints 1690-1800” and “Baron von Steuben and His Regulations.” When he died in 2009, his obituary
noted he was a “nationally recognized authority
on military arms, a member of the National Rifle Association and a dealer in books on military weapons...” and also indicated he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on LST 854 (Kane County) in the Pacific. His twin brother served in the U.S. Army during the war.
The revolver has a 5 1/2 inch barrel and is chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge. It has the high-polish Colt pre-WWI commercial blue finish, and the hammer and frame have vivid case colors. The barrel has the standard one-line Hartford address on the top and the caliber designation “45 COLT” on the left side. The left side of the frame has the Colt “two-line/three-date” patent marking followed by the encircled Rampant Colt trademark. The Colt “V/P” proof mark is stamped on the left
front of the trigger guard, and an inspector’s initial “W” is stamped on the rear. The serial number
is located on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. All of the serial numbers match. The walnut grips are inlaid with a detailed silver eagle on
both sides. The left side of the grip is inlaid with a silver oval engraved with the initials “JR” at the top. The right side of the grip has a silver, five-pointed star inlaid in the same position. The 12 inch by 7 inch mahogany case has the cover inlaid with a detailed spread eagle and shield with ribbon in
an oval. The inlay is executed in contrasting wood, and the shield is colored red, white and blue. The case is lined with blue velvet and divided into six compartments. One compartment has a silver overlaid wood lid, and another is fitted with a silver block for twenty-five cartridges. The case contains a silver oil bottle and cleaning rod with brush, two brass tips, and a screwdriver.
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CONDITION: Excellent plus overall. The revolver has 98% plus of the bright original
high polish Colt blue finish. Wear is limited to some very minor handling marks on the trigger guard and some light drag marks on the cylinder. The case colors on the frame and hammer are brilliant. Virtually all the original casehardened finish is present. The revolver appears to be unfired. The expertly crafted silver inlaid grip is in exceptionally fine condition. The case is very fine overall. The decorated lid has nearly all the original finish with minor scratches. The front of the case has a few storage and handling scratches near the lock. The case interior is fine with fading, oil staining, and cartridge head impressions on lining. This is a very impressive cased Single Action Army revolver presented by an influential collector and publisher to his son who carried on his legacy. Provenance: The Riling Family Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 16,000 - 25,000
THE CONSECUTIVE SERIAL NUMBERED COLT SAA REVOLVER TO THIS EXAMPLE IS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK OF COLT FIREARMS BY WILSON