Summary

Colt 1873 Single Action Army (SAA) or Peacemaker centrefire revolver, cased, Peacemaker Centenary commemorative edition (1973), cal. .44-40 in., rifled octagonal barrel 190 mm (7 1/2 in) long with R.H.side mounted ejector.

Made by Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co, Hartford, Connecticut. Serial number 1561PC, 1973.

Physical Description

Six chambered cylinder with standard length flutes, solid steel frame, nickel plated, steel back strap, triggergard and hammer all nickel plated, mother of pearl grips with inlaid Colt logo brass escutcheon, blade front sight, loading gate on R.H.side. Knurling on hammer is coarse Hartford style. Barrel address is a Hartford address. Two-line patent stamping on L.H.side of frame. Stamped on R.H.side of barrel with '1873 PEACEMAKER CENTENNIAL 1973'. Serial number 1561PC, loading gate is number 561. Case is a genuine Colt Peacemaker Centennial edition case, leather covered with additional leather corner protectors, printed centrally on lid '1873 Peacemaker Centennial 1973' and in lower L.H.corner with 'Cal. 44-40' and lower R.H. corner with 'COLT'. The inside of the lid has a portrait image of Samuel Colt with Colt's closing signature reprinted below the image 'Ever faithfully yours/ Sam Colt'. There are no compartments for accesories, only the recessed stencil for the revolver itself. A silver plaque is fitted to the body lining.

Significance

In 1975 Colt produced several commemorative editions of the 1873 Single Action Army revolver, also known as the Colt Peacemaker and popularised for its associations in cowboy genre cinema during the twentieth century as the favoured side-arm of gunboys, to mark the centennial anniversary of the model two years earlier. The common three variants were the Peacemaker Centennial produced in .44-40 of which 1501 were produced, the same model produced in .45 of which the same number were produced as the preceding, and a production run of 501 of the Centennial model in a combination of .44-40 and .45. This item is unusual in that its serial number is 60 numbers of the published end serial number for this limited edition - the reason for this discrepancy is unknown.

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