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LOT 1134
Historic Documented J.P. Lower, Denver, Colorado Shipped Antique Colt Acid Etched Panel Black Powder
Frame Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with J.P. Lower Holster and Buckle, Cartridge Belt,
Book, and Factory Letter - Serial no. 46277, 44-40 WCF cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, walnut
grips. Manufactured in 1878, this is both an early production and extremely desirable example of a black powder
frame Colt Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army revolver that was shipped to J.P. Lower’s sporting goods store in
Denver, Colorado, back when the American frontier remained very much a wild and untamed land, and it includes
a Lower holster and cartridge belt. The included factory letter confirms the configuration (barrel length and grips
not listed, meaning 7 1/2 inch and walnut) and shipment to J.P. Lower in Denver, Colorado on 16 September 1878
in a shipment of four guns. In 1872, Lower moved his family to Denver. In 1875, he purchased the famous Freund
Brothers’ gun shop and established his “Sportsman’s Depot”. J.P. Lower is often credited with setting up the first
firearms retailer west of the Mississippi River, and while that isn’t necessarily true, the Lower shop was certainly one
of the most well-known west of the mighty river. In his memoirs, Lower notes that by 1878 he was already selling
around 50 Single Action Army revolvers per month and was ordering as many as he could afford. Some of the most
famous gunslingers of the day such as Buffalo Bill Cody and Kit Carson purchased firearms from his Denver store. The
popularity of his shop led Lower to proclaim that “he had probably armed every Colorado Territory lawman, badman,
Indian and gambler.” This “Frontier Six Shooter” Colts would have been extremely popular in the American West,
mainly due to being chambered in the same caliber as the Winchester Model 1873. For someone in the West, arming
themselves with a Frontier Six Shooter and a Model 1873 meant that they only needed to buy and carry one type of
ammunition. The .44-40 cartridge was easily attainable and prolific in the frontier, and due to its use in both of these
legendary firearms, the cartridge itself has become an icon of the American West.
As stated, the revolver itself was manufactured in 1878 and has the single-line Colt address on top of the barrel. The
left side of the barrel is marked “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER” in the desirable acid etched panel. 1878 was the first
year in which Colt used the etched panel on the barrel of the Frontier Six Shooter, and it is quite possible that this
revolver was part of the first shipment of etched barrel Frontier Six Shooters that Lower received. The left side of the
black powder frame is marked with the three line patent dates, and the caliber marking of “44CF” is on the left rear
of the trigger guard. The matching serial numbers are marked on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, back strap,
and faintly in ink inside the channel of the grip. The assembly number “2189” is marked on the inside of the loading
gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, frame top groove rear sight, and a smooth walnut grip.
The desirability of this revolver and its frontier history continues, as it includes a J.P. Lower marked holster and a
cartridge belt with a Lower buckle. The holster is of the early “Slim Jim” or “California” pattern, which was simply a
continuation of the popular style from the age of percussion and conversion revolvers. The “J.P.LOWER/DENVER”
marking is on the body near the top, just below the deeply recurved throat, and there is a lightly tooled border. It is
configured for a right handed shooter and will accommodate a Colt Single Action Army revolver with a 7 1/2 inch
barrel. It is lined with soft buckskin, has a belt loop on the back
secured with three brass rivets, and has a sewn in teardrop shaped
toe plug. The belt itself does not appear to be Lower marked, but
it is fitted with a brass buckle from his shop that is marked “JOHN P.
LOWER/SPORTSMENS/DEPOT/DENVER COL” and has the appearances
of having been paired with the belt for a significant amount of time,
possibly since it was made. The belt is 1 3/4 inches wide, 39 inches
long including the buckle and clasp, and has a single row of .44
caliber sized cartridge loops.
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