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LOT 149
Excellent Colt Lightning Etched Panel Sheriff’s Model 1877 Double Action
Revolver - Serial no. 52027, 38 LC cal., 3 1/2 inch round bbl., nickel finish, hard rubber grips.
Manufactured in 1885 in the short barreled ejectorless “Sheriff” configuration. Fixed sights
with the two line Hartford address on top of the barrel and the etched “COLT D.A. 38” panel
on the left. The left side of the frame is marked with the three line, three date patent information.
The matching serial number is marked on the frame, trigger guard and back strap, and the assembly
number “779” is on the loading gate. All nickel finish with niter blue hammer, trigger and screw heads.
Fitted with checkered hard rubber bird’s head grips with Rampant Colt in an oval at the top.
CONDITION: Excellent. The revolver retains 98% of the original untouched nickel finish
with some small areas of minor flaking, a small amount of frosting and scattered handling
marks. A gray patina is forming on the screws and trigger face, with bright original niter
blue concentrated on the back of the trigger and hammer. The grips are excellent with
smoothing on the high spots, a few minor pressure dents and crisp checkering. The
markings are clear. Mechanically excellent. An exceptional all original 1877 Sheriffs Model
Lightning revolver.
Estimate: 3,250 - 4,500
LOT 148
Excellent Cased Antique
Etched Panel Colt
Model 1878 Frontier
Six Shooter Double
Action Revolver with Rare
Two Line Barrel Address - Serial
no. 18105, 44-40 WCF cal., 5 1/2
inch round bbl., nickel finish, hard
rubber grips. Designed by William
Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff, Colt’s
factory manager and Superintendent of
Engineering, the Model 1878 revolver was intended to be a double action
alternative to Colt’s legendary Single Action Army revolver. With 51,210
being produced, the 1878 was never nearly as popular as its single action
cousin; however, there were still many that favored it in the West for its
firepower, including Captain Jack Crawford, who replaced Buffalo Bill Cody as
“Chief of Scouts” shortly after the Battle of Little Bighorn. This example was
manufactured in 1887 and, interestingly, has the two line Colt Hartford address
on the 5 1/2 inch barrel. The small two line address was general used only on 4 3/4 inch or shorter
barrels, and the 5 1/2 inch barrel almost always had the one line address. The left side of the barrel
has the desirable “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER” acid etched marking. The underside of the barrel
has the caliber marking “44” in tiny font. The left side of the trigger guard is marked “44 CAL.” The
cylinder is numbered to the gun. The oak partitioned case has a Cogswell & Harrison of London
retailer paper label on the interior of the lid and contains a C&JW Hawksley, screwdriver, and
cleaning rod. While many think of .44-40 W.C.F. as a cartridge of the American Western Frontier,
this particular revolver is evidence that the cartridge also found popularity elsewhere. One can
easily imagine the stopping power of .44-40 being highly valued in many corners of the British Empire during the late Victorian period.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 95% original nickel finish with thinning on the barrel and scattered flaking. The etched panel is clear. The trigger and hammer retain 97%
plus original nitre blue finish. the grips are also excellent limited light handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The case is fine with some handling/
storage marks, some soiling of the retailer label that remains legible, and typical high spot wear on the lining.
Provenance: The Tom Selleck Collection.
Estimate: 5,500 - 8,500
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