USFA Sheriff Model

[what would you say]

Na

[Pangaea]

WWYS,

I have an engraved 45 Colt lightning rifle that has the serial number 7 on it.  It has a birdseye maple stock, I'll try to post a pic of it in the next few days.  I paid a handsome price a number of years ago, maybe six to eight.  I imagine Gary could say when it was made.

Philip

[Grogan]

I'm looking at a Rodeo II Sheriff here that's SMB00X

Wonder how many of these they made?

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

As I have stated here before, it would be nice if someday (hopefully within our life times) someone would gather up all the available information on USFA and publish a book, like the one that was done years ago about Great Western Arms.  Production numbers are no doubt available but information regarding variations gets lost with each passing day.  Little things that seemed to have no significance at the time are now of interest to us.  When, exactly (give us a date), did production become all US?  When did they stop using the hinged boxes?  When did they start/stop using those blue, plastic "US" logo seals with blue cord to tie up the plastic pouch that contained the owner's manual?  Little stuff, unimportant then, important to collectors now.
As an example:  Towards the end of USFA's SAA production run I ordered a Double Eagle, requesting a nickel finish.  When it arrived it had the Rodeo II style matte nickel finish with fire blue screws, a variation that was never offered.  I posted information about it here on the board and Gary Granger respond, stating that, to the best of his knowledge, it was a one of a kind pistol.  Sometime later I ran across another one, just like it, that was being sold on GunBroker.  So... how many were there?  Does anyone really know?  Did anyone at USFA keep records of these things?  Where would that information be now?
It is an unfortunate fact that we may never know the answers.  Luckily we have this forum where we can exchange what information we do have!   

[GaryG]

The Rodeo Sheriff was part of a run done for Lew Horton Distributing in 2008 ( maybe 2007).  There 50 done in 4 different finishes. 50 in Rodeo, 50 in Rodeo II, 50 in all blue, and 50 in colorcase and blue.  The 3 letter prefix was different depending on the finish.  Likewise, there were 50 each in the four different finishes in the Storekeeper model (3 1/2" with ejector).  They also had 3 letter prefixes with numbers from 001-050.

[GaryG]

This thread on serial numbers reminds me of some the desired serial numbers that left USFA.  A Custer Battlefield gun with 1876 as a serial number.  Some John Wayne Red River guns left with the year of his birth, death, and the year Red River came out.

[TDW]

Thanks for the info, GaryG.
   I bought my Lew Horton Sheriff's Model (s/n SMA003) new from a local dealer.....Still kick myself for not picking up the other three in that set when he offered me all four.....

I didn't think the "smoking deal" he was offering ($2000) was all that great....

Tom W.

[yahoody]

"I posted information about it here on the board and Gary Granger respond, stating that, to the best of his knowledge, it was a one of a kind pistol.  Sometime later I ran across another one, just like it, that was being sold on GunBroker.  So... how many were there?  Does anyone really know?"

I doubt anyone does actually know.  Not sure how long Gary was involved at USFA or where the records are or most importantly what records were actually kept then or now.  Gary is doing a great service to us all by offering what he knows.  But USFA made a lot of guns.  And many of them were in small runs or one of a kind.  Makes collecting them at the very least "interesting"  

I can't get a straight answer from Turnbull on what he did with DT serial numbers.  And they are still in business with the required bound book.  Imagine the chaos when a company shuts down with no thought ( or much previous thought) as to the future for collectors.

[Grogan]

While I never had any "smoking deal" offers (and that offer for $2,000/4 would be considered a "smoking deal" today  ) for not being a "collector" I don't feel bad to know that I scored on 2/4 of the Lew Horton Specials at decent prices.   

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

I  have one of them as well, WWYS,  and the serial numbers for that particular run did start with "US."  Limited to 50, the numbers ran from US1001 through US1050.  They also had the "US" logo, in a circle, on the left side of the frame (where Colt puts their pony) - something many of up hoped that they would continue to do on all of their SAA's. 

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Mine is #35.  I would assume that they probably went in order when numbering so yours would be the last of that particular run.  Nice!  Most desirable number, to my way of thinking, would be US1001, second most, again in my opinion, would be yours, US1050.  
It has been mentioned here that there are 4 different Lew Horton limited sets and I also assume that the other sets were limited to 50.  What were the variations between the sets.  I was only aware of the 3" Sheriff model that I have.  
Other noticeable differences on this model are the elongated cylinder flutes, the long cylinder pin and the cylinder pin screw.  Somewhere, way back on this board, I did a review of this model when I first got it.

Addition:  Found it!  Here is my original post, from August 23, 2008,  regarding this model;

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,22021.0.html

[yahoody]

An a shot of that nice circle US

Really like the Sheriff's Models.  Have several USFA versions in 3 and 4".

I also had the 3" elongated flutes and Bisley styled hammer pictured here.  Never for a minute liked the Circle US.  Nice guns  but in that case just a Colt imposter.  I detested the circle US for that reason and eventually sold that gun...partly because of the "new" trade mark.  Only one worse IMO is the Circle Bull from Turnbull.   Call me traditional but only one real SAA trade mark worth having on a six gun.

The real one used by Colt on production between 1890-1912.



and another fake...at least this one makes more sense on a USFA gun IMO. 

[yahoody]

My long flute with the Bisley hammer was US1023.




sold 2nd hand for $1300 with two sets of grips and a custom $200 holster

4" inch in the white, fire blue screws with black rubber US grips is 21651
3" Blue and cased, cased hammer with white US grips, SMD20   

New 3" with the added ivory and custom grip frame, in one of several versions is one of my night stand/carry guns more recently.
But no circle US trademark on any of them thankfully







I should stick a USFA low profile hammer in here as well...next time around.  Only seen one short gun (with an ejector) using that hammer.  But  just an idea for options on the Sheriff's models.

[GaryG]

I don't recognize the hammer in the middle.  Just a little history.  Jim Finch (Longhunter) was the first to order a low spur hammer.  He sent us a sample where using "brute force" he lowered the spur.  From that one we took the amount he lowered it and began to produce low spur hammers for him.

[yahoody]

Of course   I made both the Bisley shown and the tiny spur hammer out of USFA hammers a previous owner "bobbed" and made useless.

Options on hammers just not USFA offered options on the hammers I pictured.

[thirteenandy]

I just acquired one of these Special Sheriff models with the US1 prefix, circled US next to the patent dates and birdshead hammer. Are these all American parts guns?