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LOT 3103
Extremely Rare Documented Denver Colorado Shipped Colt Bisley Sheriff’s Model Revolver Sold to Winchester Repeating Arms Co. with Factory Letter - Serial no. 200651, 38 Colt cal., 4 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard rubber grips. The accompanying factory letter states this Colt Bisley Model revolver was sold to the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and shipped to the George Tritch Hardware Company in Denver, Colorado, on November 2, 1900. This revolver is an extremely rare Bisley Sheriff’s Model with a four-inch barrel and special smokeless powder frame without provision for an ejector housing. The Colt letter describes the revolver features as caliber “.38/c”, with four-inch barrel and blue finish. On page 142 of the 30th Anniversary Edition of “A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver” authors Graham, Kopec, and Moore state “Still rarer than factory engraved Bisleys are the smoothbores and Sheriff’s Models... As of this updated revision, there are now nine known original, ejectorless, short barreled Bisley Model revolvers.” The revolver has the distinctive Bisley Model features which include higher frame, humpback grip and back strap, curved hammer with wide knurled spur, wide trigger and two-piece black hard rubber checkered humpback grips. The barrel, cylinder, trigger guard and back strap are blued and the frame, loading gate and hammer are color casehardened. The Rampant Colt medallion is embossed in an oval at the top of the grips. The top of the barrel is roll-stamped with the legend “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. Co./HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.” in two lines. The left side of the barrel is roll-stamped “(BISLEY MODEL) 38 COLT”. The caliber designation “B38” is stamped on the underside of the barrel just ahead of the frame. The left side of the frame is roll-stamped with the Colt “three-date/two-line” patent markings followed by the encircled Rampant Colt trademark. The inside of the loading gate is stamped with the assembly number “26”. A Colt “E” inspection mark is stamped in the hammer well. The serial number is stamped on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard and back strap.