Colt SAA #2

[Fox Creek Kid]

Barrel chopped. Interestingly shipped in late 1877.

[Tascosa Joe]

Those grips make me drool.  For her age she held up pretty well.

[Old Doc]

I believe Serial # 1 is in the Autry Museum. It was once featured in the History Channel's show about "Million Dollar Guns" and I believe the history of it can be found through an internet search. This is the first I have heard about Serial # 2.

[St. George]

Indeed - by 1877, Colt had shipped 33000...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Old Doc]

Indeed - by 1877, Colt had shipped 33000...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

All the more reason to wonder why it took until 1877 to ship serial # 2.

[St. George]

Given the paltry amount of 'information' provided by Colt's factory letter - I kinda doubt we'll ever know.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Shotgun Franklin]

Many years ago I owned, for a short time, # 289. It was not in shooting condition but it operated. I bought it for $200 and turned it for $250. I wish I'ed have known prices were gonna go up like they have.

[llfulford]

Did you obtain the paperwork from Colt or did someone else, I'm just asking because my father has had the number 5 sitting in the bottom of his gun cabinet since the 50's and we called Colt'sArchive department Monday and Don Capoli told me that the number 5 gun was so old that they didn't have records on it and that if it proved to be real that this would only be the second single digit serial number SAA colt was aware of. 

[Old Doc]

The grips have got to be aftermarket. Did they have elephants back in 1877 ?

Seriously, this is a very intriguing thread. First thing I thought of is whether the letter was a fake. With so many people faking old guns, it must be a lot easier to fake the letter.

[St. George]

That's for sure...

There was a shop south of me whose owner had a pallet of old, high rag content paper left over from a defunct printer, several old manual typewriters, a whole host of ink pens, and a buddy who could replicate letterheads.

He did 'em all - Colt, Winchester, Marlin, Parker and L.C. Smith - even the Government 'capture' forms and DCM paperwork, if it'd enhance a sale.

Got banned from a couple of the high-dollar shows because he was 'authenticating' stuff that the factory records couldn't.

My favorite was an Ithaca M1911A1 that suddenly appeared with sales documents - I 'knew' that piece and knew that it never had any sort of 'proof of purchase' from Uncle Sam before it got to his shop, since it had been sold to a buddy through 'Ye Olde Hunter for $30, years previously.

Caveat Emptor.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Fox Creek Kid]

Did you obtain the paperwork from Colt or did someone else, I'm just asking because my father has had the number 5 sitting in the bottom of his gun cabinet since the 50's and we called Colt'sArchive department Monday and Don Capoli told me that the number 5 gun was so old that they didn't have records on it and that if it proved to be real that this would only be the second single digit serial number SAA colt was aware of. 

This gun was sold at auction in 2003 or so and no, it is not mine!! 

Could you PLEASE post photos of your dad's revolver and give us some history of where he got it?