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According to "The 36 Calibers of the Colt SIngle Action Army" by
Brown, only 625 Colt Single Actions
were produced in .357 Magnum.
LOT 1135
Spectacular Documented Alvin F. Herbert Factory
Master Engraved Colt First Generation Single Action
Army Revolver in .357 Magnum with Factory Letters
and Invoice - Serial no. 356875, 357 magnum cal., 7 1/2
inch round bbl., nickel finish, smooth grips. This revolver
is accompanied by factory letters from 1972 and 1973
addressed to Mr. Pemberton indicating this revolver was
originally shipped from Colt on February 12, 1940, in
.357 caliber with a 5 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, and hard
rubber grips. It was sent to Kruse Hardware Company in
Cincinnati, Ohio. The second letter noted that the Repair
Department’s records listed this revolver as returned on
September 23, 1963, “to be engraved by Al Herbert, fitted
with Ivory stocks and 7 1/2 inch barrel. This work was
performed on Job Number 80052.” The original invoice for
the work accompanies the revolver and indicates it was
ordered by John D. Forlini of Pelham Manor, New York but
never claimed. The order has the notation “Engraved by
Herbert”. David S. Woloch in a letter to Brig Pemberton wrote
that Colt retained it until the late 1960s when they sold it
to the highest bidder, Woloch. The revolver is featured on
page 617 of “The Colt Engraving Book, Volume Two” by R.L.
Wilson which also relays that the revolver was retained for
several years before it was sold at auction. In looking into
Forlini, we found that he was an engineer and died suddenly
from a heart attack at the age of 49 at his home in Pelham
Manor on February 25, 1964, which explains why he never
reclaimed his Colt.
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