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LOT 138
Outstanding and Extremely Rare Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver
in Very Scarce Dual Caliber .44 Russian/.44 S&W Special with Original Box and
Factory Letter - Serial no. 354992, 44 Russian S&W special cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/
casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. The accompanying factory letter states the revolver
was sold and shipped on July 8, 1932, to Iver Johnson Sporting Goods Company in Boston,
Massachusetts, with a 5 1/2 inch barrel in .44 S&W, blue finish, and type of grips not listed.
This was the only revolver of this type in the shipment. Only an estimated 506 Single Action Army revolvers
were manufactured for .44 S&W Special, per page 100 of “The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army” by
David M. Brown, with 24 listed as manufactured in .44 S&W on page 104. This is an exceptional Single Action
Army chambered in a rare caliber. While Colt Single Action Army revolvers were often chambered for the same
cartridges as Winchester’s popular repeaters, they were not commonly chambered for cartridges by Smith &
Wesson, their main competitors in the handgun market. This revolver is one of the exceptions, with the rare
barrel markings on the left of “RUSSIAN AND/S&W SPECIAL” followed by “44”. Colt ended up changing these
markings to “44 SPECIAL” which removed any mention of Smith & Wesson from their revolvers. The top of the
barrel is marked with the standard one-line Hartford address. The standard two-line patent date markings and
Rampant Colt are on the left of the frame, and a small “3” above a “VP” triangle proof is marked on the left of the
trigger guard. The revolver wears a set of Rampant Colt embossed checkered hard rubber grips. The included
factory box has the matching serial number handwritten on the bottom, end label confirming the barrel
length of 5 1/2 inches, .44 caliber, “RUBBER” grips, “BLUE” finish, and an additional white label marked “S.&W.
CARTRIDGE.” above. Also includes a small old leather bound notebook with the name “H.S. SINDLE” in gold
lettering on the cover, and a binder containing scanned research related to this individual, including an old scan
of a newspaper article/advertisement headlined “Important Maplewood, N.H. shoot/WINCHESTER/Shotguns
and Shells” and further states, “The Maplewood Preliminary Handicap was won by Mr. H. S. Sindle shooting from
20 yards with a score of 98x100...In the Maplewood 16 Yard Amateur Championship Match Mr. Sindle kept up
the good work by breaking 97 out of 100.” Another included old newspaper scan indicates H.S. Sindle also won
a fifty-target contest in the Little Falls Trophy shoot on October 20 (year unknown).
CONDITION: Excellent, retains 98% plus bright original polish blue finish with a hint of muzzle wear and a light
cylinder drag line, the frame and hammer retain 98% plus vivid original case colors. Grips are also excellent,
with tight fitment, minimal handling evidence, and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. Box is fair, with
some general wear and a few separated areas, and nearly all of the clear labels remaining. This outstanding dual
caliber .44 Russian/.44 S&W Special Colt Single Action Army would be difficult to improve upon!
Provenance: The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
According to "The 36 Calibers of
the Colt Single Action Army" by
Brown, only 506 Colt Single Action
Army revolvers were chambered in
.44 S&W Special, and only 24
were chambered in .44 S&W.
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