2066

SCARCE LONDON VARIATION OF COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
SCARCE LONDON VARIATION OF COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.
SN 141005. Cal. 455 (presumed to be 455 Eley). Blue & color case hardened with 7-1/2" bbl, rare, tall V-shaped front sight and 1-line block letter "PALL MALL, LONDON" address with caliber marking on left side. Left side of frame has 2-line, 3-patent dates and rampant Colt in broken circle. Fitted with a scarce, checkered, Bisley style, niter-blued trigger and mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that has last four digits of matching SN in backstrap channel. Bbl has the very rare Metford rifling found only on single actions of British caliber. Cyl & bbl have tiny British proofs. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter which identifies this revolver in caliber 455 with 7-1/2" bbl, blue finish, wood grip & shipped to Colt's London Agency on June 3, 1891 in a 20-gun shipment. According to Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia, Cochran, there were only 1,150 Single Actions produced in this caliber out of the approx. 357,859 made prior to WWII, making this a very rare Single Action. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching except cyl which is properly unnumbered. Bbl retains 95-96% strong, orig, glossy factory blue with feathers still visible on each side of the front sight which indicates that this sight is orig to this bbl; ejector housing retains about 90% orig blue with light thinning on outer radius; frame & hammer retain strong case colors in sheltered areas being mostly moderately to heavily faded; cyl retains 30-40% orig blue, strong in the flutes, thin on outer diameter. Trigger guard & backstrap retain blue in sheltered areas with front & backstraps a blue/brown patina. Grip is sound showing light to moderate edge wear, a couple of bruises on left side and retains a hand worn patina. Hammer is not solid in safety notch, otherwise mechanics are crisp, very bright shiny bore with scattered fine pitting. A rare & seldom encountered Single Action. 4-48766 JR335