Another Show and Tell

[RattlesnakeJack]

Celebrate with me the finalization of the deal for my latest "toy" - It arrived on Friday "on approval" and today I concluded the transaction via e-mail .....

My new acquisition is a Model 1878 Colt Double Action revolver which is "likely" one of 1,001 such revolvers purchased by the Canadian Dept. of Militia & Defence in early 1885 for the North West Rebellion.  The great majority of these revolvers never received any Government ownership markings, no official records were kept of serial numbers, and they were not purchased directly from Colt so it is impossible to get definitive confirmation from the factory records. (They were acquired from Hartley & Graham in New York, who apparently had almost 500 revolvers in inventory at the critical time, and who obtained the balance of the order from Colt as quickly as they could.)  What one must look for is the correct configuration (nickle plated, hard rubber grips, 7.5" barrel, .45 Colt) in the serial number range confirming 1883 through early-1885 manufacture .... and if such a revolver turns up in Canada it is "likely" from that contract.  There are maybe 40 or so known revolvers which bear some identifiable markings - indicating unit of issue or the like - but those command a premium in price, understandably.

The one I have just acquired meets all of the criteria for an unmarked Canadian Militia revolver ... and you can bet your boots that I am going to spring the $100 fee to acquire a Colt factory letter, in the hope of confirming that it was sold to Hartley & Graham.  (Even if the letter fails to do that, there is still some possibility that this is a North West Rebellion revolver, because apparently more than a hundred additional revolvers were purchased "locally" in the West, mainly from Hudson's Bay Company stores, and no records exist to identify the HBC's supplier(s) ....)

Click thumbnails to enlarge ....

     

[Pitspitr]

CONGRATULATIONS Col.!
New toy are allways fun and it looks like you got yourself a very special one.

[Dr. Bob]

RJR,

A fine specimen of a shooting iron!  I will forward the bill for the new keyboard to replace the one that shorted out while is was drooling over the pictures!   You do have impeccable taste old chap!!  Pip pip!

[Icebox Bob]

The perfect mate for your '76..

Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy,  Drool Drool Drool,  Envy, Envy, Envy, 

Was there another one, wherever you found that one???
Congrats!
Icebox

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Great find, sir!

[Charlie Bowdre]

RJ
A great piece and no doubt a fine example of the Rebellion . Congrats

dutchie

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Jack;  Wouldn't I.G.Baker of Fort Benton be a likely conduit for the revolvers purchased in the West?

BTW;  I drool, and am totally envious!

[RattlesnakeJack]

... Wouldn't I.G.Baker of Fort Benton be a likely conduit for the revolvers purchased in the West? ...

I don't think so, at least not for most of the locally purchased revolvers.  Apparently, one of the only things known for sure about the revolvers acquired in the West is that the majority of them came from the HBC (based on purchase receipts submitted to the Dept. of Militia.) 

As settlement of the Canadian West began in earnest in the 1870's,  I.G. Baker was actually the main direct competitor of the retail stores being established in the new towns by the Hudson's Bay Company, so it seems very unlikely that the HBC would use them as a wholesale supplier.    (American concerns like I.G. Baker got their foothold in some of the fledgling communities on the Canadian prairies before the Canadian Pacific Raliway was constructed, when they had a competitive advantage through lower transportation costs to Fort Benton, from which well established freighting trails branched out into the Canadian North West.  As you know, I.G. Baker was a major supplier of the NWMP in the 1870's and early 1880's, which likely forms the basis for your question.)

However,the CPR eliminated that advantage and sounded the death knell for the American retailers - for example, I.G. Baker sold all of its Canadian operations to the the HBC in 1891 ....

[RattlesnakeJack]

The perfect mate for your '76..   .....  Was there another one, wherever you found that one???
Congrats!
Icebox

Yessirree, Bob!  I must admit that I'm plumb "smilin' like a butcher's dog"!

Matter of fact, the fellow I got this revolver from does have another .... but he's keeping it!   

I do know where another two "Canadian" 1878 DA's are currently for sale ... drop me a line.