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LOT 70
Well-Documented, Historic, and Incredibly Rare Soft Shipped L.D. Nimschke Master
Engraved Black Powder Frame Colt Sheriff Model Single Action Army Revolver
Identified as Owned by Texas Ranger Benjamin F. Finn with Holster, Factory Letter,
and Additional Documentation - Serial no. 80118, 45 Colt cal., 4 inch round bbl., nickel
finish, antique ivory grips. This L.D. Nimschke master engraved ejectorless “Sheriff’s Model”
Colt Single Action Army Revolver dates to 1882 and is among the rarest of all Colt Single
Action Army revolvers. The ejectorless configuration alone would make this revolver highly
sought after by Colt collectors. In “The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army
Revolver, 1873-1895” the authors stressed the rarity of the ejectorless SAAs as a whole
(barrel lengths ranged from 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches in the study) and state that “just under
600 ejectorless Single Action Army revolvers were produced in all calibers from 1882 to
the 1930s.” These revolvers are among the rarest of all Colts, representing less than 0.17%
of the total First Generation revolvers. Adding significantly to the rarity is that this revolver
was shipped “soft” from the factory for engraving in New York by L.D. Nimschke. While we
have sold a small number of ejectorless Colt Model 1877 Thunderer and Lightning revolvers
engraved by Nimschke, we find no other example of a Nimschke engraved Sheriff’s Model
Single Action Army in our extensive records, and R.L. Wilson shows only one other example,
sn. 132084, in “The Colt Engraving Book Volume One.” The icing on the cake for this already
extremely desirable revolver is the fact that it is documented as owned by Texas Ranger
Benjamin Franklin Finn (1865-1943). Taken as a whole, this is among the rarest and most
desirable of all Colts.
The factory letter confirms this revolver was in .45 caliber with a 4 inch barrel and “Blue-
Soft” finish (stocks not listed) when sold and shipped to Schoverling, Daly & Gales of New
York City on September 5, 1882. The letter further notes that the 4 inch barrel indicated
the revolver was a “Sheriff’s or Storekeeper’s type Single Action Army” and that the “soft”
notation indicates the revolver’s frame and loading gate were not casehardened, so that they
could be engraved outside of the factory. The revolver is featured on page 342 of “The Colt
Engraving Book, Volume One” by R.L. Wilson where it is noted as engraved by L.D. Nimschke.
The revolver features stunning scroll engraving throughout with beaded backgrounds,
wavy line designs primarily forming the borders, entwining wavy line designs down the
back strap, ornate fan designs on the recoil shield and loading gate as well as the top of the
back strap, and dot accents. The 4 inch barrel has a rounded blade front sight, the two-line
address on top, and no provisions for an ejector. The “black powder” frame also correctly has
no provisions for an ejector and has the three-line patent marking on the left side.
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