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Outstanding, Incredibly Rare and FRESH Wilbur A. Glahn Factory Master Engraved and Silver Plated First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver in Very Scarce .357 Magnum with Relief Carved Steerhead Grip, Factory Letter, and Book. - Serial no. 357556, 357 magnum cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., silver finish, antique ivory grips. Using the most liberal statistics, only 2,500 First Generation Colt Single Action Army revolvers of the 357,859 manufactured were factory engraved. The engraving on this incredibly rare revolver was executed by Master Engraver Wilbur Glahn, and the floral scroll engraving is consistent with other revolvers cut by his hands. He executed the majority of Colt’s factory engraving between 1919 and 1950, but only a select number of SAAs were engraved by Glahn since many were engraved before he even arrived in Hartford. Further adding to the rarity of this revolver is the fact that only a very small number of pre-World War II SAAs are in .357 Magnum. This revolver is one of only approximately 525 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers chambered at the factory in .357 Magnum between that cartridge’s introduction by Smith & Wesson in 1935 and Colt ending Single Action Army production in 1940 due to World War II. The fact that this revolver falls within the 357000 serial number range is interesting both because this revolver is in .357 Magnum and because the final pre-war revolver, sn. 357859, is only 303 digits away. Though many of the late Single Action Army revolvers were held and not shipped until after WWII, this revolver appears to have shipped in 1941 before the U.S. entry in the war. The included factory letter states that the production book indicates this revolver was manufactured on December 9, 1940, and sent to the Shipping Room on March 7, 1941, and was recorded as engraved and in .357 Magnum. The revolver is featured and discussed in the included copy of “A Life’s Tapestry of a Collector: The Gamble Collection” by George F. Gamble and R.L. Wilson on page 257 where the authors note this revolver is “one of the most profusely embellished revolvers executed in Glahn’s career at Colt’s.”