Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters A Big Bore Pocket Gun. An Engraved Colt SAA Sheriff's Model

A Big Bore Pocket Gun. An Engraved Colt SAA Sheriff's Model

Hello all,

I thought to share with you the story of one of my favorite guns in my collection. Its a Big Bore Pocket Gun. An Engraved Colt Single Action Army Sheriff's Model revolver. As you know from my previous posts, I love guns with stories to tell and this ones interesting.

This Colt is one of the rare 2nd Gen Sheriff's models of which only 503 were produced. These were commissioned by Centennial Arms Corp., Chicago, Illinois, in 1960. The Colt Factory letter for this gun lists it as sent to them on October 13th, 1960, in a 200 gun shipment. Gun is listed as a 3" .45 caliber with blued finish, stocks are not listed.

These were the first and only Sheriff's models made by Colt during the 2nd Generation period, and the only ones made since the First Generation production ended. Centennial Arms sold these guns for $139.95 in the early 60's.

The Colt Factory letter includes additional information telling that the gun was returned to the Factory in Feb. 1979 with a work order for Type B Engraving in Oak Leaf Style, with "Willie P. Dorman" in Script on Backstrap, Silver Medallion Ivory Grips, and finished in Full Silver Plate.

The Gun was Engraved by the famous Colt Master Engraver Howard Dove. "H. DOVE ENGR 1979" is stamped on the left side of the back strap under the left grip. I have the original copy of the work order from Colt Industries to Ace Pawn Shop. (a business that was owned by Mr. Dorman at the time) It listed this gun by serial number and shows the ordered Custom Work. The Ace Pawn Shop work letter lists all this in detail on their invoice and today the gun remains in the same configuration as when it was shipped back to Willie Dorman in 1980. The Custom work at the time cost $1,206.34 and took 14 months to complete. In today's 2018 dollars that would equal about $3,875.00 of custom work performed on a gun that had a $450 value at the time.

In addition, this Gun appears in the First Edition of Don Wilkerson's book; "The Post-War Colt Single Action Revolver." The gun was also featured in an article in the April 1987 Guns Magazine, page 44, by the Famed gun writer Robert O'meara. This gun is also pictured in a second article written by O'meara for the Australian Shooters Journal, June, 1993, page 46.

Fortunately, copies of both articles, a copy of Wilkerson's book picture, O'meara's Color photos, and all the original paperwork have been preserved in a 3-ring binder by the several owners over these last 50+ years. Several former owners' hand written notes and documentation tell interesting tid-bits of the gun's History. Notes, letters, and the photos from O'mera sent to one of the former owners have also been preserved. One of the hand written records recounts a 1-hour conversation that a new owner had with the engraver, Howard Dove, where Howard tells him this was the "First" and "Only" time he engraved "Oak Leaves and Acorns" on a gun. Howard went on to say that after Willie Dorman received the Customized revolver, after waiting 14 months, he returned the revolver back to the Colt Factory because his name was spelled wrong; "Dolman" instead of "Dorman". Howard said it was because of a secretarial error. Howard went on to tell that the incorrect name had to be buffed away, and then re-engraved the name with the correct spelling, and that it then had to be re-silver plated a second time. This inconvenience to Willie was compensated by a 17% discount shown on the final billing.

Notes by one of the former owners states that he had a conversations with Willie Dorman in 1993 when Willie was 57 years old. His hand written note states that Willie acquired the gun by trading a man a Winchester lever action rifle in 218B caliber. That man with whom he traded was the famous "Carbine Williams". (see link) Although owned by at least 7 collectors since 1960, the gun remains un-fired to this day. Its in NEW condition, with only the tarnish of time patina being added over the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Marshall_Williams

CONTINUED ..............

Interesting and well told, thank you.

I will admit when I saw the thread title I thought your were talking "wrist breakers".

.577x2" double



http://montywhitley.com/product/english-577-howdah-pistol-by-whistler-london/

Buckstix,
I drive by the Colt Building often. I think about the amazing work that came out of it over the long years that arms were produced there. Yours is a beauty.

How do they do that? Is the background chiselled away & then stippled or just stippled?

Hello Bob_B257. Thanks for the reply. I sure like it. I talked with Colt today. Custom Engraving starts at $10,000 these days, and a couple of 3 years wait.

This is relief engraved, the background is cut away and then finished by beading. Beading is similar to stippling but the punch produces a rounded bead instead of a crater.

Beautiful old gun. Hard to believe it went through it's early life unfired. Thanks for sharing.

Hello Tyrone.

Thanks for the reply.

This is deep relief engraving. They cut-away the background, and then texture and darken it to really make it look 3-dimensional.

Hello dave284.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, its unfired and will stay that way as long as I own it.

Hello TheKid. Thanks for the reply. Yes, that's the way its done.

Hello DigitalDan. Thanks for the reply This one won't break your wrist.