RARE COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER SHERIFF’S MODEL SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

RARE COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER SHERIFF’S MODEL SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 123373. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Nickel finish with 4″ bbl, full front sight and 2-line address with “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER” etched panel on left side. Left side of frame has 3-line patent dates and rampant Colt in a broken circle. Left front web of trigger guard is marked “44 CAL” and bottom of bbl is stamped “44” under base pin. Mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that has the SN in back strap channel. The frame of this revolver was produced in 1887 but it was not shipped until 1899. When it was produced the 3-line patent dates were the frame marking of that period and is referred to as the Type-two format. On April 29, 1890 Colt was able to trademark the “Rampant Colt” and by SN 135280 this new trademark was being applied to the left side of the frame. At about SN 135600 Colt then changed the patent date format to the Type-three which consisted of the 2-line 3-date format. There were apparently only about 350 single actions that received the Type-two, 3-line date format and Rampant Colt trademark during this short period. These few revolvers are known as the Variation of 1890. This information was extracted from Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia, Cochran, on p. 412. One can speculate that this revolver, although produced three years earlier, was probably finished during this short run in 1890 and languished in storage until an order came through in 1899. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver in caliber 44 with 4″ bbl, wood stocks, nickel finish and shipped to Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, MO on May 13, 1899 in a 20-gun shipment. Also accompanying is a copy of a page from an unknown publication which lists nine pictured Colts, one of which, #4, is SN 123372 which is virtually identical to this revolver but with hard rubber grips. Additional information from the cited publication discloses that Mr. Cochran speculates that less than 1,000 ejectorless single actions were produced in all the period prior to WWII. He calculates that just under 50% of them had 4″ bbls, about 60% of them had standard black powder frames and about 68% of them were in caliber 45. He also speculates that about 30% had nickel finish. Additionally accompanying are seven copied pages from the April 8, 1950 edition of The Waterways Journal which details “The Life and Times of Capt. Fred Hornbrook, Now Residing in Cincinnati, Ohio”. According to consignor this fine Colt was purchased by John Kudlik, a well known university professor & arms collector, directly from the family of Capt. Hornbrook or from the person who did buy it directly from the family. According to the article, Capt. Hornbrook was a river Captain on various waterways of the Midwest & South for most of his adult life. He was born in 1872 in West Virginia near the banks of the Ohio River and began his riverboat career at age 19. The riverboat trade was his life continuously until about 1934 spending most of his time on the Ohio River from West Virginia to Pittsburgh to Louisville, Paducah, KY and Cairo, IL. He owned, leased & operated numerous packet steamers hauling freight & passengers. Also accompanying are four pages of the first board meeting of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & Louisville Packet Company dated May 26, 1934. Mr. Hornbrook was elected President of the company. Consignor was told by Mr. Kudlik that Mr. Hornbrook carried this revolver in his pocket most of the time he was on the river. PROVENANCE: John Kudlik; Capt. Fred Hornbrook CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including grip, cyl & bbl are unnumbered. Overall retains most of its orig nickel finish with some slight losses on front edge of frame and wear on high points of recoil shield & loading gate. Grip is sound showing light to moderate edge wear and a few light nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig varnish. Hammer is not solid in safety notch and half cock is missing, otherwise mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. 4-42264 JR12 (27,500-32,500)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2073	$0.00	RARE COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER SHERIFF’S MODEL SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 123373. Cal. 44 WCF (44-40). Nickel finish with 4″ bbl, full front sight and 2-line address with “COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER” etched panel on left side. Left side of frame has 3-line patent dates and rampant Colt in a broken circle. Left front web of trigger guard is marked “44 CAL” and bottom of bbl is stamped “44” under base pin. Mounted with 1-pc walnut grip that has the SN in back strap channel. The frame of this revolver was produced in 1887 but it was not shipped until 1899. When it was produced the 3-line patent dates were the frame marking of that period and is referred to as the Type-two format. On April 29, 1890 Colt was able to trademark the “Rampant Colt” and by SN 135280 this new trademark was being applied to the left side of the frame. At about SN 135600 Colt then changed the patent date format to the Type-three which consisted of the 2-line 3-date format. There were apparently only about 350 single actions that received the Type-two, 3-line date format and Rampant Colt trademark during this short period. These few revolvers are known as the Variation of 1890. This information was extracted from Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia, Cochran, on p. 412. One can speculate that this revolver, although produced three years earlier, was probably finished during this short run in 1890 and languished in storage until an order came through in 1899. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver in caliber 44 with 4″ bbl, wood stocks, nickel finish and shipped to Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, MO on May 13, 1899 in a 20-gun shipment. Also accompanying is a copy of a page from an unknown publication which lists nine pictured Colts, one of which, #4, is SN 123372 which is virtually identical to this revolver but with hard rubber grips. Additional information from the cited publication discloses that Mr. Cochran speculates that less than 1,000 ejectorless single actions were produced in all the period prior to WWII. He calculates that just under 50% of them had 4″ bbls, about 60% of them had standard black powder frames and about 68% of them were in caliber 45. He also speculates that about 30% had nickel finish. Additionally accompanying are seven copied pages from the April 8, 1950 edition of The Waterways Journal which details “The Life and Times of Capt. Fred Hornbrook, Now Residing in Cincinnati, Ohio”. According to consignor this fine Colt was purchased by John Kudlik, a well known university professor & arms collector, directly from the family of Capt. Hornbrook or from the person who did buy it directly from the family. According to the article, Capt. Hornbrook was a river Captain on various waterways of the Midwest & South for most of his adult life. He was born in 1872 in West Virginia near the banks of the Ohio River and began his riverboat career at age 19. The riverboat trade was his life continuously until about 1934 spending most of his time on the Ohio River from West Virginia to Pittsburgh to Louisville, Paducah, KY and Cairo, IL. He owned, leased & operated numerous packet steamers hauling freight & passengers. Also accompanying are four pages of the first board meeting of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & Louisville Packet Company dated May 26, 1934. Mr. Hornbrook was elected President of the company. Consignor was told by Mr. Kudlik that Mr. Hornbrook carried this revolver in his pocket most of the time he was on the river. PROVENANCE: John Kudlik; Capt. Fred Hornbrook CONDITION: Very fine, all matching including grip, cyl & bbl are unnumbered. Overall retains most of its orig nickel finish with some slight losses on front edge of frame and wear on high points of recoil shield & loading gate. Grip is sound showing light to moderate edge wear and a few light nicks & scratches and retains most of its orig varnish. Hammer is not solid in safety notch and half cock is missing, otherwise mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore. 4-42264 JR12 (27,500-32,500) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2011 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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