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LOT 1108
Exceedingly Rare Factory Engraved Antique Blued/Casehardened Colt Model
1877 “Rainmaker” .32 Colt Double Action Revolver with Pearl Grips and Factory Letter
- Serial no. 93260, 32 Colt cal., 6 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, pearl grips. This is
one of approximately 200 of Colt’s Model 1877 revolver that were chambered in .32 Long Colt
and nicknamed the “Rainmaker”. Making this specific example even rarer is the fact that it is
factory engraved and exhibiting patterns executed by the famed Colt Master Engraver Cuno
Helfricht. Cuno Helfricht spent his nearly 50 year career exclusively with the Colt firm (1871-
1921). 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 successor’s included famed Colt engravers Wilbur Glahn and William Gough.
The factory engraving on this Rainmaker covers 75% of the surface and is similar to engraving
patterns seen on other Helfricht embellished Model 1877s as pictured on page 458 of
R.L. Wilson’s “The Colt Engraving Book.” The majority of the engraving features fine floral
scrollwork on a punch dot background. Fan patterns adorn the recoil shield and loading gate,
while zig-zag line patterns decorate the back strap, trigger guard, top strap, and ejector rod
housing. The alternating patterns between the cylinder flutes are particularly interesting as
they match the embellishment on no. 89034, a Rainmaker Helfricht engraved and pictured in
the aforementioned book (page 458). Also note the patterns used on the sides of the trigger
guard and backstrap and zig-zag line motifs on the front sides of the frame are very similar to
the patterns Helfricht used on Lightning no. 77562 shown on the same page as no. 89034. In
“The Book of Colt Firearms,” R.L. Wilson noted total factory engraved Model 1877s represented
about 250 chambered in .38 caliber and 475 chambered in .41 caliber. Wilson, however, does
not provide production numbers for factory engraved Rainmakers.
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