EXTRAORDINARY & ULTIMATELY RARE ENGRAVED COLT RIMFIRE SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

EXTRAORDINARY & ULTIMATELY RARE ENGRAVED COLT RIMFIRE SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 258. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Nickel finish with 7-1/2″ bbl, full front sight with script address having the broken letter dies, with serifs at each end. Left side of the frame has the earliest style 2-line patent dates with “44 CAL” on left shoulder of the trigger guard. Fitted with 2nd type ejector rod housing with bull’s eye ejector rod head. Bottom of the bbl has the serial number underneath ejector rod housing and “44” located about 5/8″ forward of the frame. Various authentic, period to revolver, inspector initials are located on bottom of the bbl, back edge of the frame and inside the hammer slot. Mounted with spectacular flame grain varnished American walnut 1-pc grip with matching serial number in the back strap channel. Frame, bbl, ejector rod housing, cylinder & grip frame are all engraved in deep foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background and dual line borders in typical L. D. Nimschke style. Center bosses on front part of frame have engraved hunter’s stars, typical of Nimschke engraving. Top strap is engraved with fine feather patterns and dual line borders with chip & dot borders. Top of bbl has identical borders with wonderful geometric patterns toward front sight. Top of back strap is engraved with Mr. Nimschke’s fan with checkered areas near the ears with spiderweb patterns on sides of the back strap ears. Back strap, butt strap & trigger guard are engraved in matching patterns with matching borders plus a snake & dot pattern on each side of the trigger guard. Cyl has matching foliate arabesque patterns on the lands between the flutes with small flourishes back of the flutes and a band of feather patterns with chip & dot border around rear edge. Ejector rod housing is engraved on outer radius with feather & foliate arabesque patterns with matching borders. Ejector rod housing gullet is engraved with snake & dot pattern. Frame screws & grip frame screws are all blued. The bore is conventionally rifled vs. the rifling found in most other Colt Single Action Army revolvers. This exact revolver is pictured in full color on p. 332 of The Colt Engraving Book Volume I, Wilson. It also appears on page 61, in full color, in THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER 1873-1895, Wilkerson & Hoyt, a copy of which accompanies this lot. Also accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver with bbl length, finish & type of stocks not listed showing shipment to Spies, Kissam & Co., New York, NY, on March 10, 1876 in a shipment of thirty same type guns. Additionally accompanied by a 6-page hand written letter from renowned Colt historian & authority, Ron Graham, who states, unequivocally, that this revolver is completely authentic in every respect as stated above and is the finest of its type in existence. Further accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt historian & author, R.L. Wilson, who precisely details all of the fine points that completely authenticate this revolver as being orig as found. Both Mr. Graham & Mr. Wilson state that this is the finest Colt Rimfire Single Action Army revolver extant. These rare revolvers, approx. 1,892 produced in period 1875-1880, in their own serial range, were essentially obsolete by the time they were produced. Finding limited acceptance on the American market, Colt was able to sell most of the completed stock to remote & undeveloped countries such as Mexico & South America where the Henry & Winchester Model 1866 rifles were still in use, and where care was minimal at best. Consequently it is rare to find one of these rimfire revolvers with orig bbl length and finish. PROVENANCE: George Lewis Collection. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, all matching including grip. Overall retains 96-97% strong orig nickel finish with only faint wear at muzzle edges and on back strap with some dulling on recoil shield & loading gate and light scrape marks around bbl address. Grip is sound with minor handling & storage nicks & scratches and overall retains about 90% strong orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-38488 JR4 (200,000-300,000)

Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009

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
	2175	$0.00	EXTRAORDINARY & ULTIMATELY RARE ENGRAVED COLT RIMFIRE SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER. SN 258. Cal. 44 RF Henry. Nickel finish with 7-1/2″ bbl, full front sight with script address having the broken letter dies, with serifs at each end. Left side of the frame has the earliest style 2-line patent dates with “44 CAL” on left shoulder of the trigger guard. Fitted with 2nd type ejector rod housing with bull’s eye ejector rod head. Bottom of the bbl has the serial number underneath ejector rod housing and “44” located about 5/8″ forward of the frame. Various authentic, period to revolver, inspector initials are located on bottom of the bbl, back edge of the frame and inside the hammer slot. Mounted with spectacular flame grain varnished American walnut 1-pc grip with matching serial number in the back strap channel. Frame, bbl, ejector rod housing, cylinder & grip frame are all engraved in deep foliate arabesque patterns with punch dot background and dual line borders in typical L. D. Nimschke style. Center bosses on front part of frame have engraved hunter’s stars, typical of Nimschke engraving. Top strap is engraved with fine feather patterns and dual line borders with chip & dot borders. Top of bbl has identical borders with wonderful geometric patterns toward front sight. Top of back strap is engraved with Mr. Nimschke’s fan with checkered areas near the ears with spiderweb patterns on sides of the back strap ears. Back strap, butt strap & trigger guard are engraved in matching patterns with matching borders plus a snake & dot pattern on each side of the trigger guard. Cyl has matching foliate arabesque patterns on the lands between the flutes with small flourishes back of the flutes and a band of feather patterns with chip & dot border around rear edge. Ejector rod housing is engraved on outer radius with feather & foliate arabesque patterns with matching borders. Ejector rod housing gullet is engraved with snake & dot pattern. Frame screws & grip frame screws are all blued. The bore is conventionally rifled vs. the rifling found in most other Colt Single Action Army revolvers. This exact revolver is pictured in full color on p. 332 of The Colt Engraving Book Volume I, Wilson. It also appears on page 61, in full color, in THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER 1873-1895, Wilkerson & Hoyt, a copy of which accompanies this lot. Also accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver with bbl length, finish & type of stocks not listed showing shipment to Spies, Kissam & Co., New York, NY, on March 10, 1876 in a shipment of thirty same type guns. Additionally accompanied by a 6-page hand written letter from renowned Colt historian & authority, Ron Graham, who states, unequivocally, that this revolver is completely authentic in every respect as stated above and is the finest of its type in existence. Further accompanied by a 2-page letter from noted Colt historian & author, R.L. Wilson, who precisely details all of the fine points that completely authenticate this revolver as being orig as found. Both Mr. Graham & Mr. Wilson state that this is the finest Colt Rimfire Single Action Army revolver extant. These rare revolvers, approx. 1,892 produced in period 1875-1880, in their own serial range, were essentially obsolete by the time they were produced. Finding limited acceptance on the American market, Colt was able to sell most of the completed stock to remote & undeveloped countries such as Mexico & South America where the Henry & Winchester Model 1866 rifles were still in use, and where care was minimal at best. Consequently it is rare to find one of these rimfire revolvers with orig bbl length and finish. PROVENANCE: George Lewis Collection. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, all matching including grip. Overall retains 96-97% strong orig nickel finish with only faint wear at muzzle edges and on back strap with some dulling on recoil shield & loading gate and light scrape marks around bbl address. Grip is sound with minor handling & storage nicks & scratches and overall retains about 90% strong orig factory varnish. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. 4-38488 JR4 (200,000-300,000) Auction: Firearms - Fall 2009 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.

.red{fill:#B50938;} .white{fill:#FFFFFF;} .blue{fill:#005596;}