Page 124 - 4093-BOOK2

AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED
IN THE COLT ENGRAVING BOOK
VOLUME TWO BY WILSON
122
Alvin F. Herbert was Colt’s primary factory engraver in 1954-1968 and decorated guns for
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Charles De Gaulle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and many other
high profile politicians and celebrities. He was a prolific engraver who spent roughly 15 years
at Colt, “turning out more than most engravers could in a 25 year period,” according to noted
Colt historian R.L. Wilson. However, Brig Pemberton wrote that this was the only pre-war Single
Action Herbert engraved, and our records show no other examples. The revolver is also rare in
that only approximately 525 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers were chambered at
the factory in .357 Magnum after that cartridge’s release in 1935.
The revolver featured profuse scroll engraving at the muzzle, breech section of the barrel,
cylinder, frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The post-war factory installed barrel has a
rounded squareback blade front sight, the one-line address on top, and “COLT SINGLE ACTION
ARMY .357” on the left. The cylinder has a star on the back. The frame has the two-line patent
marking and Rampant Colt trademark on the left. The trigger guard has “4” over the “VP” proof
on the left. Matching serial numbers are on the frame and right side of the trigger guard and
back strap. The grips have silver Colt medallions.
CONDITION: Near mint overall as factory embellished/upgraded with crisp engraving and
markings, bright nickel, light aged patina and minimal age lines on the grips, and minimal light
handling and storage type marks. Mechanically excellent. This is an incredibly rare revolver: the
only Colt First Generation Single Action Army known to have been engraved by Alvin Herbert!
Provenance: The John D. Forlini Collection; The David S. Woloch Collection;
The Brad Weston Collection; The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection.
Estimate: 45,000 - 70,000