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LOT 3570
Houston, Texas Shipped Smith & Wesson Non-Registered .357
Magnum Double Action Revolver with Box and Factory Letter - Serial no. 61208, 357 magnum cal., 6 inch solid rib bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. The
Non-Registered .357 revolvers are much more rare than their
Registered Magnum model counterparts with only about 1,400
manufactured compared to about 5,400 Registered Magnums.
The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped
on March 25, 1940 and delivered to J.S. Oshman & Co. of
Houston, Texas, with a 6 inch barrel, Patridge front sight and blue
finish. The revolver features a Patridge front sight, an adjustable
square notch rear sight, and matching serial numbers on the butt,
right grip panel, cylinder, and ejector shroud. The original S&W box is numbered to the gun. Boxes for this model are the same as used with Registered Magnums.
CONDITION: Excellent retaining 98% plus original blue finish with a patch of pitting on the cylinder, a light cylinder drag line, and scattered handling marks. 98% plus original case colors remain on the hammer and trigger. The grips are very fine with a hairline crack towards the top (right panel), some minor handling marks, and overall crisp checkering. Box is fine.
Provenance: The Dave Ballantyne Collection.
Estimate: 6,500 - 8,500
LOT 3571
Weldon Bledsoe Signed Engraved Smith & Wesson Model 60 Double Action Revolver with Relief Steer Head Carved Pearl Grips and Factory Letter - Serial no. 475078, 38 S&W special cal., 2 inch solid rib bbl., bright stainless finish, pearl grips. This revolver features near full
coverage floral scroll engraving on a punch dot background and pearl grips featuring a
jeweled eyed relief carved steer head on the right panel. It was masterfully embellished
by Weldon Bledsoe. Bledsoe is most famous for his cattle brand motif, but like any other great engraver he occasionally did other
designs which is the case with this revolver. The engraving is discreetly signed by Bledsoe amongst the scrollwork on the sideplate.
The included factory letter states the revolver was shipped on May 22, 1967 to John P. Mull Jr of Arizona (no city listed in the factory
records) with a 2 inch barrel, bright polish finish, dark casehardened hammer and trigger and checkered walnut grips.
CONDITION: Very fine as master embellished by Weldon Bledsoe with minimal handling marks and crisp engraving. The grips are also very fine with crisp carving and highly attractive fiery colors. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,500
LOT 3572
Historic Engraved Wolf & Klar Fort Worth, Texas Shipped Smith & Wesson .44 Hand Ejector Third Model Double Action Revolver with Attractive Relief Steer Head Carved Pearl Grips, Inscribed Holster Identified to a Texas Law Enforcement Officer,
and Factory Letter - Serial no. 38338, 44 S&W special cal., 4 inch round bbl., nickel finish, pearl grips. The S&W .44 Hand Ejector Third Model revolver is also known as the “Wolf & Klar Model” due to the famed Texas retailer requesting a shrouded extractor barrel to be
reintroduced. This example was shipped to Wolf & Klar and received a retailer engraving and modifications fit for a flamboyant Texan. The
accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped on July 31, 1931 and delivered to Wolf & Klar of Fort Worth, Texas, with a 4 inch barrel, nickel finish, and checkered walnut grips. This shipment was for 42 guns with nickel finish and 3 guns with blue finish, all
units had a 4 inch barrel. The engraving, carved pearl grips, and cut-way trigger guard similar to that on FitzGerald modified revolvers were period retailer
additions, likely by Wolf & Klar. The engraving is near full coverage, consisting of floral scrollwork and blossoms. The grips feature a jeweled eyed relief carved steer head on the right grip panel. The floral tooled open top/
open toe holster was made by Bedell Rogers of Longview, Texas. The belt loop is hand marked “FEDERAL/6-5427/H.R. MARTIN./BOX
587/LIBERTY/TEXAS/77575.” The City of Liberty’s website confirms H.R. “Bob” Martin (1895-1964) was “a longtime law enforcement officer” and served as chief of the city’s volunteer fire department from 1925 to 1955. He was Liberty’s
first fire chief when the fire department was created in 1925 after a fire destroyed several downtown businesses. CONDITION: Very fine with period modifications/embellishments, retaining most of the frosted replated
nickel finish with high edge wear. The grips are very fine with slight chipping, crisp carving, and fiery colors. Mechanically excellent. The holster is fine. A Wolf & Klar shipped S&W .44 Hand Ejector revolver with period
upgrades fit for a Texan. Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500
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