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LOT 3124
Exceptional Documented Wilbur Glahn Master Engraved First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Carved Steer Head Grip and Factory Letter Featured in “A Life’s Tapestry
of a Collector” - Serial no. 350804, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, carved grips. Factory engraved Colt Single Action Army revolvers are among the most desirable of all antique American firearms. The Single Action Army itself is arguably the most iconic handgun in history, and 357,800 were manufactured prior to World War II. However, though many of the most famous SAAs were engraved, using the most liberal statistics, only 2,500 pre-war Colt Single Action Army revolvers were factory engraved. This incredible revolver from late in the First Generation was manufactured in 1927 while Wilbur Glahn was responsible for most of the engraving at Colt. He executed engraved only a select number of SAAs given a large share of the rare factory engraved SAAs were engraved before he even arrived in Hartford. Any surviving Glahn engraved Colt is a significant treasure, and this revolver’s high condition combined with its rarity certainly makes it an exceptionally desirable revolver.
This factory engraved revolver and a pasteboard box (not included) are featured and discussed on pages 258-259 of the included copy of “A Life’s Tapestry of a Collector: The Gamble Collection” by George F. Gamble and R.L. Wilson. It is described as: “The scroll and border engraving were executed by Wilbur A. Glahn, with his characteristic scroll style, and the special motif associated with him on the butt strap. Also noteworthy is the technique of having the scroll on the sides of the frame continued onto the sides of the trigger guard strap, as well as the sides of the back strap where joining the frame. Glahn’s treatment on the ejector rod housing and topstrap are also specific scrolls in his repertoire. Comparison should be made with Bisley Single Action revolver, no. 263480, by Glahn, but executed with more profuse coverage, pictured on page 404, of Colt Engraving...” The latter is in Lot 1204 and also shown on page 268-269 of “The Life’s Tapestry of a Collector.” The included factory letter lists the revolver in .45 caliber with a 5 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, “Ivory with carved Steer Head” grips, and grade #2 factory engraved and indicates it was the sole gun of this type sold and shipped to Powell & Clement Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 31, 1929.
The barrel has a fixed blade front sight, “45 COLT” in a panel among the scroll engraving on the left, the one-line address on top, and ejector with the crescent style button engraved with a star and scroll and wavy line engraving on the housing. The frame has the usual top strap groove for a rear sight, the two-line patent marking and Rampant Colt trademark among the engraving on the left side, Glahn’s characteristic “V” elements on the loading gate and recoil shield, assembly number “257” on the former and the rear of the frame on the right, and the noted seamless scrollwork that continues onto the trigger guard and back strap which are also numbered to the gun. The trigger guard has “3” and the triangular “VP” proof on the left. The back strap also has a “V” design at the top. The cylinder has the matching partial serial number “804” on the rear face, a wavy line along the breech end, and scrollwork between the chambers. The two-piece grips have silver Rampant Colt medallions, blind screw, and a beautiful raised relief carved steer head on the right.
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