[Swordmaker]

38 years ago I brokered a collection of miscellaneous guns owned by a long-time grocer from Winnemucca, Nevada. Among the guns in his eclectic collection was a pristine condition black powder Colt Single Action .45 Long Colt with a 7 ½ barrel in a double military style holster rig. What was unique about this Colt was that it had full military inspectors marks from the Springfield Armory but completely lacked any serial numbers or assembly numbers from the Colt factory! I noted the "K" roll stamped inside the frame on the loading gate area, which reference books I had indicated a manufacture date of 1890-1891. This was quite a quandary about the provenance of this gun. I had first suspected a "lunchbox" gun — a gun made from stolen parts, smuggled out of the Colt factory piece-by-piece in a dishonest employee's lunchbox — but the totally authentic military inspectors marks proved that to be not possible.

I had to do quite a bit of research which took several months of digging and letters to the Colt Historian, reading scholarly books on the history of the Colt Single Action, and the Springfield Armory, etc, before I finally discovered the story behind this un-serial numbered Colt SAA.

What I learned was that in 1891 Colt shipped six (6) un-serial numbered replacement part frames to the Springfield Armory of the US Army. The Armory records showed that FOUR of the un-serialized frames were used with mixed serial numbered parts to make up guns destroyed in service and were marked by the armorer and duly recorded in inventory.

However, after much discussion, the remaining two un-serial numbered frames were made up into a matched pair of revolvers with brand new replacement parts, all with no serial numbers. A special military holster rig was made with both a left and right holster for these guns. This matched set-up of unserialized guns was then presented to the commander of the Springfield Armory.

The story the Grocer told me about he came into possession of the single gun and holster rig was that a elderly rancher friend of his in the Winnemucca area had BOTH un-serial numbered guns in the holster rig hanging in his barn on a nail on a post. He'd admired them and the childless rancher had told him that he could have them when he died. When he did die, his widow called the grocer and told him her husband had told her about the promised bequest and he could come and get them. . . so he stopped by to get them out of the barn. When he went out to the barn, the holster rig was there, but only one gun was still in it. The other gun never turned up.

The gun being sold in this auction is one of the four un-serial numbered frames made up of mismatched parts, not the other missing gun. . . but it is the first one of the six I've seen to ever come to light! The barrel on this gun was apparently replaced in 1903 with a 5 ½" barrel.

Somewhere out there, likely in central or eastern Nevada, the other completely un-serial numbered military marked Colt SAA 7 ½" barrel .45 Long Colt revolver, the one stolen from the rancher's double holster rig before the Grocer was able to claim his inheritance.

Here is the link for the auction of the unserial numbered Military Colt SAA.

The rest of the three days of gun auctions (Great Gun Porn) which include such guns as engraved Henry Rifles, engraved 1866 Winchesters, cased percussion Colts, and many other fine collectors' pieces are here:

Rock Island Premiere Firearms Auction Day 1 (995 Lots)
by Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island Premiere Firearms Auction Day 2 (847 Lots)
by Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island Premiere Firearms Auction Day 3 (880 Lots)
by Rock Island Auction Company

ENJOY!

[IronJack]

What’s your guess on the going price for the SAA in the article?

[PROCON]

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[Swordmaker]

Among the other guns in the Winnemucca grocer's eclection collection were:

• An 1875 Remington Revolver without serial numbers but with Remington factory assembly numbers, in the white, which had never been blued or plated. It had a factory polish finish and "engraved" maker's name instead of a rolled Remington name on the barrel. It was given to the grocer by an ex-Remington employee who told him it had been retrieved by Remington when the Patent Office was no longer keeping the PATENT MODELS of inventions. I.E. this gun was Patent Model submitted to the US Patent Office when Remington patented the Remington 1875 Frontier revolver!
• A Smith & Wesson .38 S&W revolver that had been seized from Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd, when he had been arrested and held in Winnemucca. The Police Chief had given it to the grocer in payment for a grocery bill. Included a letter of authenticity with a photo of Floyd.
• A pristine Smith & Wesson .44 Russian model.
• A mint condition Philadelphia Derringer made by Deringer. (Note the correct spelling of Deringer.) It was the exact same model as the one used to kill Lincoln.
• A near mint 1857 Smith & Wesson Model 1, .22 Short rimfire, low serial number, nickel plated, in the box, with a box of original ammunition. This is essentially the first cartridge firearm commercially available.

There were around 15 to 20 very desirable collectors' guns in the "collection," but, the bulk of the over 200 guns was made up of guns customers of his grocery store had given him over 45 years in business in payment for bills they couldn't pay, and represented everything from old rusty junkers found in the desert to some nice modern stuff. As he was retiring and moving to Florida, he wanted them all gone. He also wanted to proceeds in cash.

To facilitate these requirements, I required the buyer who wanted the "good" collectors' guns had to buy the entire "collection." I sent out a detailed list and description of each firearm in the collection to shops and dealers around the country and opened it to bids. Best bid by a specific date got the whole kit and kaboodle. The winning buyer offered $140,000.

Have you ever seen $140,000 in cash? In twenties through hundreds? My wife and I drove it across Nevada to deliver it.

[MileHi]

These are great threads, thanks for taking the time.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Interesting thread. Occasionally rare stuff just appears out of nowhere.

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=446942

This is a current thread at Shotgun World. A farmer in the UK posted about an engraved Browning A-5 he bought some years back. It turns out it is the gun Felix Funken (one of FN’s most famous engravers) did for the 1930 World’s Fair in Liege Belgium.

[Yardstick]

Colt SAAs are just plain cool. I’m on the lookout for one — nothing special, probably just a 2nd generation with a 5.5” barrel and standard black grips.

[Buffalo Head]

There is no such cartridge designated ".45 Long Colt". Never has been and never will be. Nor is there a .45 Short Colt, .45 Extra Long Colt or .45 Extremely Long Colt.

Don't let wannabe gun nuts and ill informed gun writers lead you astray. The proper designation is .45 Colt. Period.

Just check with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI).

Its the head stamp, Stupid!

And don't waste your time and mine by providing examples of others that are equally misinformed.