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The revolver and holster are featured in “Colt Engraving”
by Wilson and Beinfeld on page 293 but incorrectly listed
as serial number “127740” instead of “17240”. The book
references the letter details and also notes: “In the book ‘Land
and Order Ltd.’, Baca is shown holding what appears to be this
pistol, his thumb on the hammer. Inscribed or monogrammed
Single Action revolvers are seldom encountered.” They are also
featured in “The Colt Engraving Book, Volume 1” by Wilson on
page 433 and in Wilson’s article “Collecting Colt Firearms” in
the Feb. 1973 issue of Arms Gazette (included) where they are
captioned as “This deluxe Sheriff’s Model Single Action was
made for western gunfighter Marcelino Baca. Baca is shown in
the book, ‘Law and Order Ltd.’” The same article is also printed
in “Guns of the World: The Complete Collectors’ & Traders’
Guide” edited by Hans Tanner. The revolver and holster are
also featured in George E. Virgines “The Colt’s ‘Sheriff’s Model’”
article in Guns’ September 1976 (included) with a similar
caption and also in a Japanese “Guns of the World: Colt
Handguns” publication edited by Wilson (photocopy of the
cover and page included).
Copies of the photo referenced in the publications are
included. It is featured on page 105 of “Law and Order, Ltd.:
The Rousing Life of Elfego Baca of New Mexico” by Kyle S.
Crichton where it is captioned: “Elfego (on the left) and a
few of the boys at Roswell, starting out for an afternoon
of pleasure.” Examining the revolver in the photo with
magnification shows engraving and what appears to be
an ejectorless Sheriff’s Model of this barrel length and
finish. If engraved and inscribed Colt Sheriff’s Models are
already “seldom encountered”, those that can be seen in
period photographs are essentially never encountered.
The photograph certainly adds life to the already rare
and desirable revolver. The consignor’s research and
documentation file indicate that Pemberton traded three
Colt Single Action Army revolvers, two Colt Lightnings, a
Remington percussion revolver, a Winchester Model 1894
takedown, two Winchester Model 1873s, and two S. Norris
& W.T. Clement Model 1863 Percussion Rifle-Muskets to Eric
Vaule at the Hartford show in 1966 for this one revolver.
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