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LOT 107
Outstanding, Well-Documented Experimental Colt Model 1877
Thunderer Double Action Revolver with Box, Formerly of the Colt
Museum Collection - Serial no. 3014, 41 LC cal., 3 1/2 inch round bbl.,
blue/casehardened finish, checkered rosewood grips. Offered here is
desirable Colt factory experimental ejection system featured on a Model
1877 Thunderer with a 3 ½ inch ejectorless barrel. Standard production 3 ½
inch barrel length Model 1877s were generally ejectorless and are known
as Sheriff’s Models that are highly desirable by today’s collectors. A similar
experimental Model 1877 in .38 caliber is pictured and identified in R.L.
Wilson’s “The Book of Colt Firearms” on page 324 (plate B), and according
to Wilson, other examples, such as this specimen, are found in the 200 and
3000 Model 1877 serial number ranges. The cylinder pin is designed to
double as an ejector rod. The pin is removed by depressing the cylinder pin
release mounted on the left side of the frame. Once the pin is released it swivels to the right and manually ejects each
cartridge. The serial number dates the gun to early 1878, the second year of production for the Model 1877. The 3 ½ inch
barrel has the two-line Hartford address on top and “COLT D.A. 41” in an acid etched panel on the left side. The left side of
the frame has the three-line patent date marking, and the left side of the trigger guard is stamped “41 CAL.” The revolver
features the highly desirable checkered rosewood grip. In the accompanying copy Museum of Connecticut History letter
addressed to George Lewis, Jr. museum director David White explains the provenance: “[This] revolver was displayed
at the Colt Plant until the collection was donated to the State of Connecticut in 1957. In that year it was given to the
Museum and kept here until March of 1980 when it was traded for other firearms.” A copy of the Museum of Connecticut
History deaccessions record for the revolver is included. The revolver is listed among other experimental Model 1877s as
being part of the Colt collection in a handwritten inventory complied in 1887. Copies of the related pages to this original
Colt factory internal work are included. In two other accompanying copies of Colt records we again clearly see that this
revolver was once part of the factory collection. In the Colt factory museum’s “The Evolution of the Colt from the Year
1836” this revolver is recorded by serial number as being on public display in case “G,” and finally an undated inventory of
Colt museum arms reaffirms that the revolver was displayed in case “G.” Besides its serial number, the revolver is identified
in these records with the museum number “429.” A metal tag with the number “429” comes with the revolver. The
revolver was featured in Richard Marohn’s article “Colt’s Efforts at Double Action” for The Gun Report.
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