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The remaining Walker revolvers were issued to the Mounted Rifle Regiment in Mexico or the 1st Dragoon Regiment on the Texas/New Mexico
frontier following the Mexican War. Nearly all of the Walker revolvers saw extremely hard service, lending to their very low survival rate today and
making them immensely desirable. In 1984, Lt. Col. Robert Whittington III identified 150 surviving A, B, C, D, and E Company marked revolvers in
his book “The Colt Whitneyville-Walker Pistol,” in which 40 A Company revolvers are listed, including this revolver, serial number 74. Colt expert
Herb Glass Jr., in his accompanying June 25, 2022, dated letter, states, “In summation, A company No. 74 is a fine original Walker. Its markings,
metal surfaces, edges, mechanics and grips all evidence light use.” He also mentions that this revolver was included in the 1939 “Quick listing”
where Mr. Quick noted its owner at the time as J.C. Harvey of Boston, a prominent early collector, whose collection was later sold in 1958.
This massive 4 lb. 9 oz. revolver has a 9 inch barrel with a German silver blade front sight, hammer notch rear sight, loading lever with a rear catch,
“ADDRESS. SAML COLT NEW-YORK CITY” barrel address on top reading from the breech towards the muzzle, “A COMPANY No 74” on the left above
the wedge, and “US/1847” on the right. The frame has “A COMPANY No 74” on the left. The cylinder has “A COM.Y No 74” on the side and number
“294” on the rear surface. The brass squareback trigger guard has “A COMY No 74” ahead of the bow, and “A COMPANY No 74” is marked on the
butt of the iron back strap. Number “74” is marked on the front surface of the frame and bottom of the cylinder arbor pin. “2” is stamped on the
bottom of the barrel, with a “1” in the loading lever slot and on the wedge. The massive six-shot cylinder has the Texas Ranger and Indian fight
scene, “Model U.S.M.R.” and “COLT’S PATENT” surrounding the company marking, and has the distinctive oval stops, with the remainder of the
single safety pin evident. Also still legible is the marking of the engraver of the dies, Samuel Colt’s friend and colleague: “W.L. Ormsby, Sc. N.Y.” The
left of the grip is stamped with a partly legible script “JH” oval inspection cartouche of John Hawkins, and the right of the grip has the script “WAT”
oval inspection cartouche of William Anderson Thornton.
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