I was walking around the tables, looking for old Winchesters and SAA’s when I ran across a table that had what appeared to be a 1st Gen Cavalry Model. The finish was immaculate and it I had obviously never been fired.
Based on the condition of the gun, my first guess was a new piece from Colt, but the bluing was outstanding and the overall level of craftsmanship exceeded anything I have seen for quite a while.
I asked to examine the gun, and an elderly gentleman offered to pick it up for me and asked that I be very careful with it.
As I was looking the gun over, the THREE DIGIT serial number caught my eye and got my heart racing.
The story goes like this –
This revolver was acquired in N Dakota at a museum liquidation by a multimillionaire that was also a gun nut. He and his wife were having dinner in a small restaurant across the street when she noticed the liquidation sign for the museum. They walked over to the museum where he proceeded to buy all the Winchesters and Colts they had and shipped them home.
The gentleman I spoke with had acquired the gun from this man back in the early 60’s and he had it in is safe since that time.
He contacted Colt to make an inquiry about the gun and it’s history.
The letter he received from Colt states this gun came from the second crate of SAA’s ever produced by Colt. It was built in 1873 and the crate was slated for delivery to General George Custer before his trip to Little Big Horn. According to Colt, the crate never shipped as the military did not have enough ammunition to stock the shipment, so it stayed put. They do not know how it got to the museum, and many theories abound, but the history is there.
Needless to say, I was grinning all day…
I have asked if I can come to the next show with a camera to get some really good pictures, which he had no problem with.
Now, how cool is that?
Here is a bad phone pic –
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. My vote goes to John Kopec on the old Colts.-----------Sixgun
