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LOT 3080
Extremely Rare and Exceptional Documented Factory Inscribed Colt Bisley Single Action Flattop Target Model Revolver Marked “For
.44 S&W CTG.” with Box and Factory Letter - Serial no. 183715, 44 S&W cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured
in 1899. The accompanying factory letter states the revolver was shipped on June 22, 1899 and sold and delivered to John Thomson (address
unknown) as well as confirming the incredibly rare “special target” configuration with 7 1/2 inch barrel in .44 Russian, “wood” stocks,” and
factory inscription on the back strap which reads, “John R. Stanton, New York, June 1899.” Only a total of 976 Bisley Flattop Target revolvers were
manufactured by Colt, and only an estimated 62 were in .44 Russian (David Brown’s “The 36 Calibers of Colt Single Action Army,” page 112).
The barrel has the one-line Hartford address on top and the rare model/caliber marking on the left side: “(BISLEY MODEL) FOR 44 S&W CTG.”
As confirmed in the factory letter, the backstrap is factory inscribed with the name “John R. Stanton.” New York City native John Robert Stanton
(1858-?) was a successful mine engineer and superintendent. He attended New York public schools as well as received partial training in
mine engineering from Columbia University. He went on to successfully develop the Lake Superior copper region. Like his father before him,
Stanton held several prominent positions with some of the country’s leading mining companies such as president of the Mohawk Mining
Co., the Wolverine Copper Mining Co., the Michigan Copper Mining Co., and the White Pine Extension Copper Mining Co. He married in
September 1899, just a few months after the date appearing on the back strap inscription. The revolver features a pinned bead style German
silver font sight and an adjustable “U” notch rear sight. The left side of the frame carries the two-line patent dates marking followed by an
encircled Rampant Colt. The matching full serial number appears on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The revolver wears a set of
diamond checkered walnut grips which are numbered to the gun in pencil (faint). Brig Pemberton purchased the revolver in 1967 from M.R.
Chafin. The revolver was once cased with a smooth bore standard frame Colt Bisley revolver which also featured the identical back strap
inscription. In 1967, these two Bisleys were broken up and sold separately with Pemberton missing the sale of the smoothbore Bisley
by two hours. The two Bisleys had once belonged to noted Colt author David M. Brown and both revolvers are pictured and identified
with the same back strap inscription in Brown’s “The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action” on page 89. As stated by Brown in his
included handwritten letter from 1967 to Pemberton, the two Bisleys “were cased together at the factory.” In the letter Brown also
confirmed that he owned both revolvers and sold the revolvers as a set. The included period correct Colt factory box is numbered to
another gun (309237) and features end labels for a blued, hard rubber stocked, 7 1/2 inch Bisley revolver in .44 S&W cartridge.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 97% plus bright high polish original blue finish with flaking visible on the loading gate and some
mild thinning on the back strap. The Colt factory inscription is crisp. The hammer retains nearly all vivid original case colors. The grips
are also excellent, showing a few handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The replacement box is fine with
a detached and included section from the front lid side. A very impressive Colt .44 S&W Bisley Target Model
revolver with factory inscription to a known turn of the century titan of industry.
Provenance: David M. Brown; M.R. Chafin; The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection.
Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000
According to "The 36 Calibers of the the Colt Single Action
Army" by Brown, only 62 Colt Bisley Model Flattop
Target revolvers were chambered in .44 Russian
76