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LOT 131
Excellent First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver Documented in Extremely Rare .45 ACP as Originally Purchased by U.S.N. Captain John E. Shomier with Extensive Letters of Provenance, Factory Letter and Original Box - Serial no. 354633, 45 ACP cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. This is a rare and highly desirable example of a .45 ACP Colt First Generation Single Action Army revolver, originally purchased new by U.S. Navy Captain John Edward Shomier (August 24th, 1899-February 23rd, 1986) in 1933. It is accompanied by extensive letters of provenance including one in which a previous owner (the fourth owner), George S. Lewis, Jr., wrote to U.S. Navy Captain John E. Shomier of Virginia Beach, the original purchaser, to ask about the history of this revolver, and Shomier stated in his May of 1977 dated response, “I ordered it chambered for the ACP, 45 calibre, cartridge because I could get that ammunition for free aboard ship. Used it to fire off the far tail of the ship. I purchase
it new of course from Stoeger and sold it in order to get money for making a few ‘liberties’, never thought it would be considered so rare.”The included factory letter confirms the configuration
of this rare revolver as originally chambered in .45 ACP caliber with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish and hard rubber grips when shipped to A. F. Stoeger, Inc. of New York, New York, on June
3, 1933, in a one gun shipment. John E. Shomier held the rank
of lieutenant at the time of purchasing this revolver which coincides with when he was stationed on the U.S.S. Detroit on June 10th, 1933 (a week after this revolver arrived at Stoeger where he purchased it). Shomier was later promoted to his rank of captain on November 10th, 1945, before officially retiring in January of 1947. Another accompanying letter addressed to George S. Lewis, Jr. from Admiral Frank R. Dodge, the second owner, indicates Dodge purchased this revolver from Shomier some time in the summer of 1935, in which they were shipmates
126 between June of 1935 to June of 1936. Admiral Dodge states,
According to author David Brown, only 44 Colt Single Action Revolvers were produced in .45 ACP.