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LOT 3139
Attractive Documented Desirable Nickel Plated Antique Black Powder Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Pearl Grips and Factory Letter - Serial no. 117009, 45 Long Colt cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., nickel finish, pearl grips. The Colt Single Action Army was one of the most popular handguns in late 19th century and is easily the most
iconic and most thoroughly associated with the American West. Offered here is an early example of the legendary Peacemaker
in .45 LC. In the words of Colt author and expert David Brown, “The Colt Single Action Army .45 was ‘the soldier’s friend’ throughout the remaining years of the Indian Wars in the West. Adopted also with equal enthusiasm by civilians, it was the pet and the ‘good right arm’ of lawman and outlaw alike on every American frontier of its era” (“The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army,” p. 70). The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped to Simmons Hardware Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, on September 10, 1886, with a 7 1/2 inch barrel
in .45 caliber, desirable nickel finish, and pearl stocks. This was a five gun shipment. The barrel has the one-line Hartford address on top. The left side of the frame has the three-line patent dates marking. The left side of the trigger guard is stamped “45 CAL.” Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 60% original nickel plating with a smooth gray patina on the balance. The grips are very fine with slight chipping along the inside edges, a few typical age lines, and filled tiny chips at the heels. Mechanically excellent. A solid original black powder Colt SAA with desirable factory nickel finish and pearl stocks.
Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000
LOT 3140
Fine Colt
Bisley Model
Single Action Army
Revolver with Factory Documented Extra Factory
.45 ACP Cylinder to a USAAF Officer - Serial no. 195134,
45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened
finish, hard rubber grips. The Colt Bisley model was
only manufactured in 1894-1912 and was designed
by Colt with accuracy and target shooting in
mind. For many, the Bisley feels better in the hand
and cocks and fires easier thanks to its lower and
wider hammer and the wider trigger, making
them excellent sidearms for serious marksmen.
This example of Colt’s famed Bisley in desirable .45 LC was manufactured in
1900. Accompanying the revolver is an extra factory cylinder chambered in .45 ACP purchased
during World War II by a USAAF officer. As documented by the included October 14, 1943,
Colt order letter (copy), the .45 ACP cylinder was purchased at a cost of $6.00 by Lt. Harry Rubin of the
U.S. Army Forces Equipment Board, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, Orlando, Florida. The .45 ACP round was used by the U.S. Military during World War II for the Model 1911 and 1911A1 semi-automatic pistols. This chambering was first made available after World War I in 1924 on a special order basis to the SAA production line. Colt historian and author David Brown stated, “Almost all made after 1924 were shipped to men in some branch of the Armed Forces. They could get all of the .45 Auto ammo they wanted but part of them wanted to shoot
the Colt Single Action Army instead of Colt Automatic so they would order the Colt SAA made up in the .45 ACP” (“The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army,” page 62). As a .45 caliber Bisley owned by a WWII officer, it made perfect sense for Lt. Rubin to purchase a cylinder chambered in .45 ACP, a standard U.S. military caliber readily available to him. The Army Air Forces Tactical Center was established in 1942 and trained combat units in tactical air power doctrine.
Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The barrel has the one-line Hartford address on top and “(BISLEY MODEL) 45 COLT” on the left side. The left side of the frame has the two-line patent dates marking followed by an encircled Rampant Colt logo. Wide, low hammer spur with wide trigger and characteristic “humpback” grip. Fitted with checkered hard rubber grips with Rampant Colt logo at the top. CONDITION: Fine as a revolver that spent time in a subtropical climate during World War II in the hands of a USAAF officer. The barrel, cylinder, and ejector rod housing retain 60% original blue finish, and the grip straps retain 20% original blue finish. The frame and hammer retain 40% original case colors. There is some scattered pitting. The grips are excellent with a few handling marks and overall crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The .45 ACP cylinder is excellent with 98% original blue. A Colt Bisley revolver with a World War II connection. Provenance: USAAF Lt. Harry Rubin; Property of a Gentleman.
LOT 3141
Rare L. Kiper & Sons, Atchison,
Kansas Marked “Mexican
Loop” Holster and Early Quality
Cartridge Belt - Manufactured in the
mid-1870s to 1890s by L. Kiper & Sons
of Atchison, Kansas. By the late 1860s and
early 1870s, with the arrival of multiple
railroad links, Atchison had become a
booming commercial hub, particularly for
the cattle industry and manufactured goods heading farther west to the Frontier. Period newspapers show L. Kiper & Sons advertising their leather business there starting in the early 1870s and continuing until at least the 1890s. This is a fine example of a “Mexican Loop” type holster that was popular during the period that has two oval loops capturing the body of the holster, with the top one bearing the maker’s mark. There is light border and floral tooling on the body of the holster. A very similar example of a Kiper & Sons holster is pictured on p. 106 of “Packing Iron: Gunleather of the Frontier West” by Rattenbury. Included with the holster is an early style cartridge belt that is certainly of Kiper quality and appears to have been paired with the holster for quite some time judging by consistent color and wear. It has a single row of cartridge loops that are of .44 or .45 caliber size and has a “California style” buckle with clipped corners. The belt is 2 1/8 inches wide and measures approximately 40 3/8 inches long including the buckle and billet.
CONDITION: Good, the holster showing significant wear, typical of working gunleather from the Kansas cattle era, some scattered mild age cracking, and most of the tooling and markings remaining clear. The belt shows similar wear, having the look of being a companion of the holster for some time with some moderate age-related cracking. A rare piece of Kansas-made gunleather from the period of westward expansion!
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
140 Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500