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LOT 3124
Fine Cuno Helfricht Factory Engraved First Generation Colt
Single Action Army Revolver with Relief Carved Steer Head
Pearl Grips and Factory Letter - Serial no. 227570, 45 Long
Colt cal., 4 3/4 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, pearl
grips. This work of Colt factory artistry is the embodiment of early 20th
century American fine art by famed Colt Master Engraver Cuno Helfricht and his
shop. Helfricht was Colt’s longest tenured in house master engraver who had literal hands on
experience with the transition from percussion to cartridge revolvers and eventually automatic
pistols. It is safe to say that no other engraver knew the lines of the 19th century’s most iconic
firearm, the Colt 1873 Single Action Army, better than Helfricht, and it is with great pride and
pleasure we present this virtually flawless example executed by his own hand. During his tenure
with Colt, Helfricht saw the transition from percussion to cartridge firearms and a rapidly growing
market for engraved firearms. At the height of the firearm engraving fad, Helfricht oversaw a shop of
six engravers. By the turn of the century, experts believe that Helfricht did most of the work himself
with the help from one to two assistants. Helfricht’s successors included famed Colt engravers Wilbur
Glahn and William Gough.
The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped to J.F. Schmelzer & Sons Arms Co. of Kansas
City, Missouri (state incorrectly listed as Kansas) on June 4, 1902 with a 4 3/4 inch barrel in .45 caliber, blue finish, factory engraving, and type of stocks not listed. This was
a single gun lot. The revolver is decorated in a classic Wild West style scroll and border work. The beautiful coverage displays scroll patterns on a punch dot background
along with fan patterns on the recoil shield, loading gate and top of back strap, dot and cross band on cylinder, zig-zag line/snake patterns on the ejector rod housing
and top strap, and entwining zig-zag line and dot motifs on back strap and trigger guard. The barrel has the two-line Hartford address behind a star burst on top and “45
COLT” inside a banner on the left side amongst the scrollwork. The left side of the frame has the two-line, three patent dates marking followed by an encircled Rampant
Colt. The pearl grips feature a wonderful deep relief carved, highly detailed steer head on the right panel. The period grips are high quality, and likely introduced to the
revolver by the Kansas City retailer it was shipped to. Period steer head carved grips are highly sought after and are especially rare in pearl. Matching full serial numbers
are on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap.
CONDITION: Fine, retaining 60% original blue finish with smooth gray patina on the balance. The hammer and frame retain 30% of the original case colors mostly visible
in the protected areas with the balance a silver grey. The engraving is crisp. The grips are very fine with a slight surface chip near the bottom (left panel), highly attractive
fiery colors, and crisp carving. Mechanically excellent. A fine representative example of a Helfricht shop factory engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolver.
Provenance: The TTT Collection.
Estimate: 27,500 - 42,500 83