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Regardless of the specifics of the original order, the rifle is identified in the provenance document as purchased from Carlson by Robert Proud Sime (1863-1940) who
NOTICE THE NEARLY IDENTICAL PANEL SCENE VIGNETTES OFFERED IN THE 1897 WINCHESTER HIGHLY FINISHED ARMS CATALOG THE SIMILARITIES ARE HARD TO IGNORE SUGGESTING THIS RIFLE COULD HAVE BEEN ENGRAVED BY JOHN ULRICH
settled in Hartford after years as a seaman and opened the R.P. Sime Cafe at 109 Allyn St. 1.5 miles from the Colt factory. He then passed down to his nephew Gordon Proud Sime (1890-1961) and then his son Robert Gordon Sime (1921-2010) and then George Gordon Sime (1957-). The latter ordered the Colt letter in 2019 and was told over the phone by the Colt archives that “what I have is very special and they do not see anything like this often. I was told that Colt engraved many guns but only 22 engraved Colt lightning rifles were accompanied by a factory letter and mine was number 19 of 22.” (sic) He indicates his dad kept the rifle hidden away with a revolver and other valuables in a hidden compartment in his kitchen. A clipping of a Pratt & Whitney Aircraft newspaper article titled “Old Colt is A Cracking Good Rifle: Gold Plated Arm Is Museum Piece” from 1953 showing Robert G. Sime holding the rifle is included. In it he notes the gold trim, the engraving, and the sycamore stock which he indicates is from a tree in Hartford. He states, “My uncle bought it and a year later gave it to my father who in turn gave it to me.” He indicates that in 1940, his father used the Lightning’s speed to kill three deer standing in a group at the edge of the woods. Both the article and the provenance document indicate the rifle is marked “F.P.G. -9 T I M,” but this marking has not been located.
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