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LOT 1152
Phenomenal, Well-Documented and Historic, Consecutive Pair of Cuno
Helfricht Deluxe Factory Engraved and Gold Inlaid Colt First Generation
Single Action Army Revolvers with Ivory Grips -A) Colt Single Action Army
Revolver - Serial no. 218548, 45 Long Colt cal., 4 3/4 inch round bbl., brown/
gold finish, original ivory grips. This extraordinary pair of Colt Single Action Army
revolvers from 1901 fits perfectly within the Single Action’s heritage as both a
work of art and the trusted sidearm of the American fighting man. The Colt Single
Action Army revolver is one of the most iconic firearms in the world. Its silhouette
is instantly recognizable as the American cowboy’s trusted sidearm, and fancy
engraved Single Actions have a particular association with the American West
thanks to their genuine use by western lawmen, outlaws, and pioneers as well as
their long use on the silver screen. Despite being well-known and highly popular,
the total number of factory engraved Colt Single Action Army revolvers was very
limited. R. L. Wilson on page 385 of “The Colt Engraving Book, Volume One” wrote,
“The grand total of engraved Single Action Army revolvers (excluding the Bisley
Model and Flattop Target Model) from 1873 through 1940 is approximately 3,000.
A number of these also included hand engraved inscriptions or monograms.” Of
those, Wilson estimated 2,550 were engraved by 1921 while Master Engraver Cuno
Helfricht led Colt’s engraving shop. Helfricht thus oversaw the engraving of the
majority of Colt’s famous Single Action Army revolvers and heavily influenced how
the world remembers the famed Colt six shooter.