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LOT 1132
Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Letter - Serial no. 283640, 45 Long Colt cal.,
7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. The Colt Single Action Army Revolver is arguably
the most iconic American handgun. In the hands of ranchers, cavalrymen, Native Americans, lawmen, and outlaws,
the Peacemaker’s legacy was forged out in the hostile American West and continues to gain popularity among today’s
collectors. Offered here is an attractive example of the legendary Peacemaker chambered in the iconic .45 LC caliber.
The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped on December 12, 1906 to Andrus & Naedele Co. of Hartford,
Connecticut, with a 7 1/2 inch barrel in .45 caliber, blue finish, and type of stocks not listed. This was a two gun shipment. Henry
Andrus and Theodore Naedele became friends while attending and playing football at Yale and went on to create a partnership in 1884 to sell bicycles and sporting
goods. Tragically, Naedele was accidentally killed in 1891 when working on a customer’s gun. The Andrus & Naedele sporting goods store closed circa 1924/25.
Andrus continued to make custom fishing rods until his death in 1934. The barrel has the one-line Hartford address on top and “45 COLT” on the left side. The left side
of the frame has the two-line patent dates followed by an encircled Rampant Colt, and the left side of the trigger guard has the Colt factory triangle proof and the letter “T.”
Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 98% plus original blue finish on the barrel, 90% remaining on the cylinder with rotation marks visible overall, and 97% remaining with faint thinning on the back strap.
The hammer and frame retain 98% original case colors. The very fine period replacement grips are re-numbered with crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A very attractive early 20th century Colt
SAA revolver.
Estimate: 7,500 - 11,000
LOT 1133
Very Fine Colt Sheriff’s Model 1877 “Thunderer” Double
Action Ejectorless Revolver with Desirable 3 1/2 Inch Barrel
and Factory Letter - Serial no. 159618, 41 cal., 3 1/2 inch round
bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. This is a very fine
example of a Colt “Thunderer” revolver with a 3 1/2 inch barrel and without
an ejector, commonly referred to as a “Sheriff’s Model”. Though the nicknames
“Rainmaker”, “Lightning”, and “Thunderer” are all excellent marketing material, they were not names ever actually used
by Colt. These nicknames are believed to have been coined by the famous Colt distributor, Benjamin Kittredge, who is
also believed to have been responsible for giving the Single Action Army its iconic nickname, “Peacemaker”. “Thunderer” is
certainly an apt nickname for this Sheriff’s Model, with it packing the punch of double action .41 Long Colt in a revolver small
enough to fit in a large pocket. The included factory letter lists the revolver in .41 caliber, with a 3 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, and
grips not listed when it was sold to Hobbs Hardware Co. of New London, Connecticut and shipped to Wyeth Hardware Co. of St. Joseph, Missouri on 18 December
1906 in a three-gun shipment. This specific example is correctly marked with the two-line address on top of the barrel and the caliber marking on the left. The left side
of the frame has the three-line patent dates and the circled Rampant Colt. The matching serial number is marked on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. It is
fitted with a blade front sight, frame top groove rear sight, and a pair of checkered hard rubber grips with Rampant Colts at the tops.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 75% plus of the original blue finish, 60% plus of the vibrant original case colors, and 80% of the bright niter blue on the hammer and trigger with
some mild thinning on some edges and handling areas, showing mostly a smooth grey patina. The grips are fine with light, even handling wear. Mechanically excellent. An
exceptional example of a Colt Sheriff’s Model 1877 “Thunderer” revolver that you don’t want to let pass you by!
Estimate: 2,500 - 3,750