I own a Colt Single Action Army, martial model, with all but the grip frame with matching serial numbers. These majority parts indicate this revolver was made in 1875. Yep, one of the early ones.
On its walnut grips are two notches. They are on the bottom of the grip, next to the iron grip frame and not carved on the outside of the wood as I've seen in the movies.
This revolver has killed two men and is in family history.
It was about 1920 at a logging camp near Mount Rainier, Washington. My great uncle Heime (Henry Meyer) was a logger at the time. He and other loggers lived in a long, rectangular bunkhouse, with a boardwalk and windows that opened onto the boardwalk.
Part of the building also housed the cook's quarters.
Someone kept stealing food from the kitchen, so the cook filled a can with rocks, put the can on a table in the kitchen, and tied a string from the can to the door handle.
Late one night, the cook heard that can of rocks get pulled off the table and clatter to the floor.
Rolling out of bed, the cook grabbed the .45 and pushed open one of the windows next to the boardwalk.
He yelled at a figure in the dark, standing on the boardwalk. The figure turned and fired at him! The bullet went down the length of the boardwalk; in the darkness the burglar apparently believed that the cook was standing on the boardwalk.
The cook fired back and killed that man outright.
Another figure ran out of the kitchen, headed for a horse, and fired at the cook. The cook fired again, and knocked him down. Hard. But the man managed to get on his horse and ride away.
A search by the experienced loggers the next day never found the man or the horse. It is almost certain that the man died. You don't go far with a .45 slug in you, in the thick, tanglewood country of the Pacific Northwest.
An inquest was conducted and the cook was exonerated.
However, the cook was concerned that relatives of either burglar would come looking for him. He wanted to leave that country. Fast.
Now, the cook owed my great uncle Heime $20. He didn't have the money but he gave Heime the old Colt as the only payment he could give.
It is also said that the cook's wife wanted him to get rid of that "killer gun."
Years later, Uncle Heime told my father, "I knew I was getting beat on the deal. The Colt wasn't worth $20. But it was all he had."
This is a quote from my father, who received the gun from Heime in 1931, when Dad was 16.
When Dad received it, there were two notches on the grip. Whether they were put there by the cook, or earlier, no one knows.
This is a very early Colt Single Action Army, in beautiful shape. No pitting or abuse. Every chamber is clean and smooth and the barrel is spotless. Not a pit in its wide grooves and narrow lands.
It was originally issued to the military, as its US on the side of the frame attests.
Back about 1898 the military brought in all the old Colt .45s issued to the military and overhauled them. Those with 7-1/2" barrels were cut back to 5-1/2 inches. Mine has the 5-1/2" barrel but it's unknown whether that was its original barrel length or has been cut back.
When the Colt SAA was issued to the military, the cavalry received 7-1/2" barrels, the artillery 5-1/2" and the infantry 4-3/4". I dunno. Perhaps it was once issued to the artillery and wasn't cut back.
It's been in the family for 73 years and is not for sale!
Dad had it reblued about 1958, not knowing it would affect value. Doesn't matter, value only counts if you plan to sell it. Dad also had a holster made for it at the same time.
Some holster maker in the Spokane, Washington area did an incredible job. It's all hand-stitched, in the Buscadero pattern, with 10 cartridge loops across the back. The man came to the house and, using a pattern, measured Dad before making it.
I suspect the holster alone is worth $400 to $600. It's not gaudy, just dark brown leather with a simple brass buckle. The holster itself looks very much like the "Paladin" model seen on the old TV show (this was 1958 and "Have Gun Will Travel" was a very popular show at the time).
I'd guess that the old Colt's value is about $4,000 --- which makes me gasp. I'd be ashamed of myself if I ever spent $4,000 on a gun.
Anyway ....
There are two notches on the old Colt. They're quite small and not easily seen when carried in the holster. I believe that this was a common practice, to make such notches nearly unseen. After all, you didn't want every young punk challenging you because he'd seen the notches on your gat ... roscoe ... er .. um .. six-shooter (relapsed to 1930s lingo there. Sorry).
The old Colt resides in my safe and has not been fired in many years. On the rare occasions I did fire it, it was always with mild black powder loads and soft lead bullets.
Beginning with approximate serial number 192,000 (start of 1900) the Colts were made to handle smokeless powder. Years ago, Dad used smokeless powder cartridges in it but today that is not recommended.
Why take the chance on such an honored and valued family member?
