Looking for the name of the engraver

[Original Noah Mercy]

So a buddy fell on hard times and is looking to sell a gun that was purchased new by his granddad. It's a 1904 Frontier Six Shooter that was silver plated (hammer is gold plated) and has over 80% engraving. The grips are eagle-and-shield mother of pearl. It is a little rough (stored poorly for half a century) but mechanically sound, and far more accurate than I would have credited. For all intents and purposes, wherever the sights are, that's where the bullet goes...at least with my loads using hand-cast soft bullets/lube. He's having me do some research on it so I can help him find a new owner who will cherish it. His kids have no interest in anything that isn't aluminum/plastic and high-capacity.

I do not necessarily like pimptastic guns, but I find this one a real eye-catcher largely due to the age and knowing it's a shooter and not a safe queen.

Do any of you recognize the engraving? It does not appear to be a true Nimschke style, but I was hoping someone among the "Colties" on here may have an idea. I will get a factory letter (which may shed some light on whether it was factory engraved or shipped soft), but right now I am not able to afford a letter for him if it turns out it was factory...they add a hefty surcharge for that.

Hope y'all enjoy the snaps of a piece of Americana...

[branman]

google this it will help


"AmericanRelic.pdf"   or paste this link if it dosnt auto load    https://electricscotland.com/history/articles/AmericanRelic.pdf

[Tascosa Joe]

You might try the Colt Forum.  The pattern is very similar to some of Colt's Factory engraving.

[LonesomePigeon]

If the gun does letter as factory engraved it's value will be increased by far more than the extra charge Colt adds to the letter. The letter will also verify the grips if they are factory and that would boost the value even more.

[LonesomePigeon]

One more thing, if you shoot the gun you might want to remove the grips first and put on some cheaper ones. Real pearl cracks very easily. Those grips are probably worth two thousand dollars by themselves and if they are factory they are irreplaceable.

[Coffinmaker]

  Another "What If 

Pearl is very fragile.  Pimp pretty but fragile.  An easy way to break them is to over tighten the screws.  Take the grips off, pick out an old Ball point pen, take that apart, then cut the pen barrel to the same length as the width of grip frames as a spacer to prevent the grip screws from breaking the grip panels.

Then add a set of nice "shooting" grips and do the same spacer for the shooters.  Then go out and enjoy.  That gun just begs to be shot.  Make an offer yourself.

Play Safe Out There

[Niederlander]

I've never been a fan of pearl grips, but that is one beautiful Colt!

[Coffinmaker]

  Some several Lustrum Ago: 

Was at a really large Gunshow in Denver, Colorado just killing some time.  Rounded this one collectors table and went Wohah!!  He had a really nice pair of Colt 2d Get SAA that looked alot like the gun Noah Mercy has with 4 3/4 barrels.  Obviously a great pair of fancy schmancy shooters.  And, priced reasonable to boot.

As I discussed with my partner, my intent to buy the pair, tune em up and shoot Cowboy with 'em, the "Collector" snatched them off the table with "their not for sale" because, Heaven Forbid, I was going to "use" them.  Probably the only time I was ever tempted to buy Colts.

Play Safe Out There

[Niederlander]

That attitude always puzzles me.  What the heck did he think the people at Colt built them FOR?  It sure wasn't to just look at.

[St. George]

Today's collector usn't necessarily a user - they view 'the Colt' as a holy relic worthy of veneration - to be coated with 'Renaissance Wax', placed on a silken pillow and worshipped.

To even 'think' about actually shooting one - to them - is an abomination.

No lie, GI - that part of the collecting world has changed...

Today, they get factory letters that whose end destination's a hardware store, Kopec letters tracking each partial martial serial number, in hopes it was a 'Custer' gun - or at least, a 'Custer-Era' gun - they parse screwheads and ejector rod heads to get the definitive answer of the date/time/group they changed - yet they don't seem to enjoy the purity of owning and shooting them.

They're more 'property' than 'cherished possession' - where the amassed information adds value - and perhaps it does, since research can be fun, as is 'knowing' - but all that doesn't mean squat to the potential buyer who merely wants a nice revolver to enjoy.

No other sidearm has the history, features in more tales and books, was so trusted to do the job, or was embellished - not the Government Models, Winchesters, Remingtons and so on - the SAA's at the pinaccle.

I was at a convention years ago, wearing a First Generation 'grey' SAA in an RT Frazier crossdraw from the 1890's, when I was asked by a couple of guys: 'Is that a real Colt?  Could I hold it? - followed by 'Gee, a real Colt...  Thanks' - no one has ever heard that about a Ruger Vaquero.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Coffinmaker]

PLUS ONE for St. George you betcha 


Let's Be Safe Out There

[Niederlander]

I have an 1894 Frontier Six Shooter I shoot regularly.  That's what the fine gentlemen who built it intended it for!

[LongWalker]

I looked at a similar (less coverage, but stylistically similar) 1892 Colt at a gunshow Saturday.  When I asked if the plating was silver or nickel, the seller (a semi-serious collector) stated he understood most silver-plated engraved guns were done aftermarket.  His suggestion, as others here have suggested, was to get a factory letter. 

His point was that the letter might identify if the gun was factory engraved, and the original finish--big win for the seller if it matches the current State of the Gun.  Worst case, it would described the original finish and to whom the gun was shipped.  With that info, the seller might be able to narrow things down to a range of possible engravers known to work with the wholesaler. 

No, I didn't buy the gun I saw--but I considered it!  Price was right at the edge of what I could swing (if I sold my trade bait to a dealer and had enough gas in the car to get home!).  Ultimately, it came down to the chambering.  I'm not a fan of the cartridge, so I passed.  I'm still second-guessing that decision.