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LOT 1099
Documented Austin, Texas, Shipped
Antique Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Factory Letter - Serial
no. 152539, 38-40 WCF cal., 7 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish,
hard rubber grips. The accompanying factory letter states this revolver was
one of two in this configuration in a shipment on November 21, 1893, to J.C. Petmecky
in Austin, Texas, in .38-40 caliber, with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, blue finish, and type of grips
not listed. An immigrant from Germany, Joseph Carl Petmecky (1842-1945) settled an
Austin, Texas, at an early age and became a gunsmith and major retailer. When he died
in 1926 the shop had continuously operated for 74 years. During the Civil War Petmecky
temporarily closed his business to fight for the Confederacy in the Southwest. His shop an
Congress Avenue certainly provided the guns that helped tame the West. It was purported
that Petmecky made guns for some of Texas’ biggest titans like Sam Houston, Ben McCulloch,
Big Foot Wallace, and Sul Ross. Considered to be the third most popular caliber in terms
of sales in the Single Action Army revolvers, 38,240 standard frame Single Action Army
revolvers reportedly manufactured in .38-40 WCF, per page 150 of “The .36 Calibers of the
Colt Single Action Army” by David Brown. Features the one-line Hartford address on top of
the barrel, and “38 W.C.F.” caliber designation on the left side, with a blade front sight and top
strap groove rear sight. The left side of the frame carries the two-line patent date markings
followed by the circled Rampant Colt logo. Matching visible serial numbers on the bottom of
the frame, trigger guard, butt, and handwritten on the interiors of the grips, with assembly
number “448” marked on the loading gate.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 40% original blue finish, 30% original case colors, with smooth gray patina on the balance, light oxidation,
and sharp markings and edges in the metal. Grips are very fine, with tight fitment, a brown appearance, minimal handling marks,
and crisp checkering and logos. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
LOT 1100
Scarce Antique Colt Sheriff’s Model Single
Action Army Revolver in .41 Long Colt - Serial no. 145299,
41 Long Colt cal., 3 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, hard
rubber grips. Manufactured in 1892. Offered here is a very scarce
example of a Colt Single Action Army revolver in highly sought after
“Sheriff’s Model” configuration. Only 33 non-engraved Sheriff’s Model
revolvers in .41 Long Colt were manufactured in the 1-164100 serial range, with only
10 of those made in this specific configuration having a 3 inch barrel and blue finish,
per page 326 of “The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, 1873-
1895” by Wilkerson and Hoyt. The authors of the aforementioned book stressed the
rarity of the ejectorless Sheriff’s Model Single Action Army as a whole (barrel lengths ranged from 2 1/2 to 7
1/2 inches in the study) and state that “just under 600 ejectorless Single Action Army revolvers were produced
in all calibers from 1882 to the 1930s.” The ejectorless Colt “Sheriff’s Model” Single Action Army revolver is one
of the rarest and most sought after variations of the legendary Peacemaker. Whether on the hip of a lawman,
carried by an outlaw or under the counter of a storekeeper’s shop, the “Sheriff’s Model” Colt Single Action
Army was at the front lines of the American frontier. The
barrel has the two-line Hartford address on top, with “41
COLT” marked on the left. The left side of the frame has
the two-line patent date markings. Matching visible serial
numbers on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap, with
an unnumbered cylinder, and assembly number “355” on
the loading gate. An included Colt archives letter indicates
factory shipping information was unable to be located for
this revolver, as it was “lost or destroyed many years ago.”
CONDITION: Very good, retains traces of the original
blue and casehardened finishes, antiqued finish around
the reset front sight, with characteristic frontier brown patina and freckling on the balance, some minor
pitting, and defined markings. Grips are good with
general western wear. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: Jim Handy;
The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
LOT 1102
Two Vintage Ammunition
Boxes for .41 Short Colt
Cartridges - Both boxes are
tan cardboard construction,
black-on-green lid labels
marked as containing 50
rounds of 41 Caliber Short
Center Fire cartridges. 1)
Winchester ammunition
box, marked for solid head
cartridges with specific
“Rifle” and “COLT’S” notations
on the lid and the black-on-
orange seal. 2) Dominion
Cartridge Company
(Montreal, Canada) ammunition box, marked for “COLT’S DOUBLE ACTION
PISTOL” with a picture of a Colt 1877 Thunderer on the lid, tan seal label, and a
merchant label for Samson & Filion of Quebec on the bottom.
CONDITION: 1) Very fine, with minor wear concentrated along the edges and
strong detail in the markings. The seal is slightly creased on two sides, but
remains solid. 2) Fine, with mild wear and staining. The seal has been cut;
contents uninspected due to plastic wrap.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 1,400 - 2,250
LOT 1101
Attractive G.W. Scarborough
Jones County, Texas Sheriff
Marked Badge - Appearing to be
manufactured in the later 20th
century, this badge appears to be
a tribute to a legendary figure of
Jones County, Texas. The badge
itself is circular in shape and
made of silver, with the center
having been pierced to form a
five-pointed star and floral vines.
The outer circle and star have lightly
engraved nickel silver mounts marked
“G.W.SCARBOROUGH” on top, “SHERIFF” at the
center, and “JONES CO. TEXAS” on the bottom.
The star was filled with blue enamel, while
the name and county markings were
filled with black enamel. There is a simple
pin attached on the back. Having been
ordained as a Baptist minister in 1874,
George Washington Scarborough purchased
500 acres of land on the Clear Fork of the
Brazos River, in what would become Jones
County, in 1877, delivering his first sermon
there. He later established the first church there
and eventually the first school in 1880. No evidence
was found listing G.W. Scarborough as sheriff of the county, however, his
son, George Adolphus Scarborough is documented as having been elected
the second sheriff of the county in 1884, later as a stock detective and a U.S.
Marshal in western Texas. G.A. Scarborough is known for tangling with many
notorious outlaws, including John Selman, and was later killed in a
gunfight in Arizona in 1900.
CONDITION: Very good, the silver showing mostly a dark brown/grey
patina, mostly bright nickel silver mounts, and some of the original enamel
remaining, with an attractively aged appearance overall.
Provenance: The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection.
Estimate: 1,500 - 2,500
According to "The Official Record of
the Colt Single Action Army Revolver,
1873-1895" by Wilkerson and Hoyt,
only 10 Colt Sheriff's Model revolvers
were produced in this configuration in the
1-164100 serial number range.
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