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LOT 84
Rare Documented Colt London Model 1878 Double Action Revolver Serial Number
4 with Unusual Hammer Shroud, Formerly of the Famed William M. Locke Collection
- Serial no. 4, 455 cal., 5 7/16 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. The Model 1878 was
Colt’s first large frame double action revolver and, until recently, has been overshadowed by its
legendary cousin, the Single Action Army. The Model 1878 was designed by William Mason and
Charles Brinckerhoff, Colt’s factory manager and Superintendent of Engineering, and it was intended
to be a double action alternative to Colt’s Single Action Army revolver. With 51,210 being produced,
the 1878 was never nearly as popular as its single action cousin; however, there were still many that favored it
in the West for its firepower, including Captain Jack Crawford, who replaced Buffalo Bill Cody as “Chief of Scouts” shortly
after the Battle of Little Bighorn. In recent years the Model 1878 has become increasingly popular with collectors who
are rediscovering its role in Colt’s heritage, as well as the shaping the legacy of the American Frontier, just like the Single
Action Army. The Model 1878 was used by settlers, lawmen, and outlaws during America’s push to the West Coast, and
its association with the Wild West alone has made the Model 1878 a very collectible American handgun. The Model 1878
has also found a special place with military collectors, with the U.S. Ordnance Department purchasing 4,600 Model 1878s
known as the Philippine or Alaskan models, which saw action during the Philippine-American War and Moro Rebellion.
With its highly unusual hammer shroud and 5 7/16 inch barrel in .455 caliber, this Model 1878 serial number 4 will certainly
gain the attention of the most serious collector. It is well deserving of the finest collections. In fact, the revolver was once
part of the famed William Locke collection and is pictured on page 208 of Frank Sellers’ “The William Locke Collection”
where it is cited as “possibly unique.” The revolver was also formerly of the Renaud de Kerchove d’Ousselghem collection.
Its most defining feature is the spurless hammer fitted with a hammer shroud, a configuration that never made it to mass
production. The hammer shroud is attached with one screw at the top of the frame. Another unusual feature is the 5
7/16 inch barrel. While factory records noted Model 1878 barrel lengths as short as 2 ½ inches to as long as 12 inches,
standard lengths were of 4 ¾ inches, 5 ½ inches, and 7 ½ inches with ejector and 3 inches, 3 ½ inches, and 4 inches without
an ejector. The 5 7/16 inch barrel fitted on this example is not a standard length. Sellers cited the six-shot revolver as
chambered in .455 caliber. Fellow firearms historian Don Wilkerson noted, “The first Model 1878 revolvers shipped in .455
caliber were sent to Colt’s London Agency on June 30, 1881.” Based on Wilkerson’s research just over 1,700 Model 1878s
in .455 caliber were manufactured by Colt generally found in the 5000-6000 serial number range, and these handguns
had 5 ½ or 7 ½ inch barrels. As Wilkerson pointed out, “The Model 1878 revolver in .455 caliber was basically a military
revolver, shipped with no frills or special orders.” This Model 1878 clearly stands out. It is possibly a one-of-a-kind and with
a serial number of “4,” the revolver has all the look of a factory experimental. The revolver is also pictured and identified in
Wilkerson’s “Colt’s Double-Action Revolver Model 1878” on page 337.
The barrel has the scarce “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG Co HARTFORD CT. U.S.A. DEPOT 14 PALL MALL LONDON” address and has a
blade front sight. The frame has the standard top groove rear sight. The rear cylinder face is stamped “41,” “L”, and “1.” Each
marking is stamped between two chambers. The revolver wears a set of checkered diamond walnut grips. Each panel is
numbered to the gun in pencil (faint). A lanyard ring is mounted on the butt of the grip frame.
Serial
Number 4