Item Name: FS Matching S/N Colt Pony Express Presentation Model Revolvers (w/ lots of provenance)
Location: North Georgia
Zip Code: 30143
Item is for: Sale Only
Sale Price: $4,030
Willing to Ship: No
Bill of Sale Required?: No
Item Description: .
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Before my listing, I would like to pay homage to a wonderful, now departed member of the firearm community.
“k1mri” was his internet handle; beyond that I knew him only as Mike.
This is a brief video he did about his “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker”, which is one of the revolvers in my set.
I would encourage everyone to watch it.
He was a real gentleman.
Colt SAA .45 Pony Express Presentation Model - YouTube
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Moving on...
The two revolvers being considered for sale here were produced just over a half century ago.
Often, facts and information about old things either get lost or are hard to come by.
Fortunately, I am in possession of considerable contemporaneous correspondence concerning the production of these revolvers and the marketing and sale thereof.
So I thought I would pass the information along here, as a little bit of firearms history.
There are two matching s/n revolvers in this set.
In the Colt sales material at the time, they were officially termed:
- “Pony Express Centennial Colt Revolver”
- “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker” [SAA]
Also included here:
- the two presentation display cases each revolver came with
- extra engraved cylinders for the “Peacemaker”
- 90% silver Pony Express Medallion that was optionally available with the “Peacemaker”
- a leather Bible replica of the one the Pony Express riders carried, which is s/n’d to the revolvers
- a book on the Pony Express, autographed by Waddell F. Smith (great grandson of Pony Express founder William B. Waddell), also s/n’d to the revolvers .
- correspondence between Colt and the buyer, as well as for prospective buyers
- a half century old Railway Express Agency receipt, for freight delivery of one of the revolvers.
Here is the history behind this set of revolvers.
In 1961 Colt produced and/or sold 1,007 of the “Pony Express Centennial revolver”.
Three years later, in 1964, Colt produced and/or sold 1,004 of the SAA “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker.”
A pair of these revolvers might become a “set” through a problematical process.
Before the 1964 revolver was released for sale to the public, i.e., while it was in production,
Colt contacted “some number” of the 1000 people who bought the first revolver, with the offer to be able to purchase the 1964 revolver before its release to the general public. And, if desired, to receive the 1964 revolver s/n’d to their 1961 revolver.
I say “some number” because the number of people actually contacted obviously depended upon the number of valid addresses Colt had for the 1,007 purchasers of the first revolver from three years before.
Thus the number of “sets” which were ever put together to begin with was limited by:
- Colt’s records of the original purchasers of the 1961 revolvers
- the buyer still being at his same address of three years earlier
- and the buyer wanting to take advantage of Colt’s offer
And today?
- what number of those pairs are still together today?
- along with the optional and s/n’d Bible and s/n’d book?
- and which have not “disappeared” into someone’s collection?
Anybody’s guess.
But my guess is there just can’t be that many.
Anyway... that’s about the history.
Here are the revolvers, and additional items.
Specifications.
And pictures.
But before looking at each revolver separately, just a quick picture of the two together showing their matching s/n’s.
Colt states that:
500 of each had an “E” s/n suffix, and 500 a “W” suffix, for East and West, for the Eastward Riders and the Westward Riders.
(Don’t know what the odd 4 and 7 had. Anybody?)
About the 1961 “Pony Express Centennial Colt Revolver”
- .22LR
- 4¾” barrel
- wood grips [appear to be walnut but I don’t see that documented anywhere]
- 24 carat gold plated
- in dark wood presentation case
- 1,007 produced
- s/ns were: 1E through 500E and 1W through 500W
- original receipt from Colt for this revolver included in sale
- condition: I was not the original purchaser of this revolver. That would have been my father.
So I can not attest, first hand, as to the history of this revolver, chapter and verse. But I can make my best guess.
I can’t imagine that this revolver was ever fired. Knowing my father, I just don’t see him firing these.
He had lots of guns that he DID shoot. But I just don’t think that he would have wanted to shoot these revolvers.
On the other hand, he certainly may have cocked the hammer a time or two (hard to resist?).
My visual inspection of the revolver here now, fits my guesses pretty well.
This revolver doesn’t look, to me, like it was ever shot.
They cylinder turned? If you use a magnifying glass, hold it just right, squint real hard,
you can sometimes make out just a hint of something maybe between these two detents? but not these others? It’s sorta like that.
And it takes that same kind of “looking” to find anything on the general surface of the revolver.
So, as to condition? Maybe it is not “THE” absolutely perfect example of this revolver to put in the NRA Museum.
But it doesn’t miss it by much.
I’d call it, if not perfect then “exceptionally fine” condition.
Just trying to be as fully descriptive and honest as I can be.
Here it is in the wooden presentation case the 1961 revolver came in.
Condition: not absolutely factory perfect but extremely good condition, just the fewest little imperfections.
Here with the case open.
Bottom fabric sort of “velvety”(?), lid fabric sort of a satin or sateen(?).
Where the satin/sateen lid material pressed down against the cylinder for over a half a century, there is a slight discoloration, possibly slight degradation, of the fabric (visible in the picture below the horsey). Balance is fine.
Pictures of each side of the revolver.
Maybe with a glass you could find some imperfection, but it is, overall, really almost perfect. Grips included.
This revolver really is gorgeous.
The pictures really “don’t do it justice”.
The roll-marks on the left side of the barrel.
[It is SO difficult to photograph a curved, shiny, metal surface! grrr... sorry]
How the right side of the barrel is roll-marked.
{{{ continued in Post #2 }}}
.
.
.
.
Location: North Georgia
Zip Code: 30143
Item is for: Sale Only
Sale Price: $4,030
Willing to Ship: No
Bill of Sale Required?: No
Item Description: .
.
.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Before my listing, I would like to pay homage to a wonderful, now departed member of the firearm community.
“k1mri” was his internet handle; beyond that I knew him only as Mike.
This is a brief video he did about his “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker”, which is one of the revolvers in my set.
I would encourage everyone to watch it.
He was a real gentleman.
Colt SAA .45 Pony Express Presentation Model - YouTube
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Moving on...
The two revolvers being considered for sale here were produced just over a half century ago.
Often, facts and information about old things either get lost or are hard to come by.
Fortunately, I am in possession of considerable contemporaneous correspondence concerning the production of these revolvers and the marketing and sale thereof.
So I thought I would pass the information along here, as a little bit of firearms history.
There are two matching s/n revolvers in this set.
In the Colt sales material at the time, they were officially termed:
- “Pony Express Centennial Colt Revolver”
- “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker” [SAA]
Also included here:
- the two presentation display cases each revolver came with
- extra engraved cylinders for the “Peacemaker”
- 90% silver Pony Express Medallion that was optionally available with the “Peacemaker”
- a leather Bible replica of the one the Pony Express riders carried, which is s/n’d to the revolvers
- a book on the Pony Express, autographed by Waddell F. Smith (great grandson of Pony Express founder William B. Waddell), also s/n’d to the revolvers .
- correspondence between Colt and the buyer, as well as for prospective buyers
- a half century old Railway Express Agency receipt, for freight delivery of one of the revolvers.
Here is the history behind this set of revolvers.
In 1961 Colt produced and/or sold 1,007 of the “Pony Express Centennial revolver”.
Three years later, in 1964, Colt produced and/or sold 1,004 of the SAA “Pony Express Presentation Model Colt .45 Peacemaker.”
A pair of these revolvers might become a “set” through a problematical process.
Before the 1964 revolver was released for sale to the public, i.e., while it was in production,
Colt contacted “some number” of the 1000 people who bought the first revolver, with the offer to be able to purchase the 1964 revolver before its release to the general public. And, if desired, to receive the 1964 revolver s/n’d to their 1961 revolver.
I say “some number” because the number of people actually contacted obviously depended upon the number of valid addresses Colt had for the 1,007 purchasers of the first revolver from three years before.
Thus the number of “sets” which were ever put together to begin with was limited by:
- Colt’s records of the original purchasers of the 1961 revolvers
- the buyer still being at his same address of three years earlier
- and the buyer wanting to take advantage of Colt’s offer
And today?
- what number of those pairs are still together today?
- along with the optional and s/n’d Bible and s/n’d book?
- and which have not “disappeared” into someone’s collection?
Anybody’s guess.
But my guess is there just can’t be that many.
Anyway... that’s about the history.
Here are the revolvers, and additional items.
Specifications.
And pictures.
But before looking at each revolver separately, just a quick picture of the two together showing their matching s/n’s.
Colt states that:
500 of each had an “E” s/n suffix, and 500 a “W” suffix, for East and West, for the Eastward Riders and the Westward Riders.
(Don’t know what the odd 4 and 7 had. Anybody?)
About the 1961 “Pony Express Centennial Colt Revolver”
- .22LR
- 4¾” barrel
- wood grips [appear to be walnut but I don’t see that documented anywhere]
- 24 carat gold plated
- in dark wood presentation case
- 1,007 produced
- s/ns were: 1E through 500E and 1W through 500W
- original receipt from Colt for this revolver included in sale
- condition: I was not the original purchaser of this revolver. That would have been my father.
So I can not attest, first hand, as to the history of this revolver, chapter and verse. But I can make my best guess.
I can’t imagine that this revolver was ever fired. Knowing my father, I just don’t see him firing these.
He had lots of guns that he DID shoot. But I just don’t think that he would have wanted to shoot these revolvers.
On the other hand, he certainly may have cocked the hammer a time or two (hard to resist?).
My visual inspection of the revolver here now, fits my guesses pretty well.
This revolver doesn’t look, to me, like it was ever shot.
They cylinder turned? If you use a magnifying glass, hold it just right, squint real hard,
you can sometimes make out just a hint of something maybe between these two detents? but not these others? It’s sorta like that.
And it takes that same kind of “looking” to find anything on the general surface of the revolver.
So, as to condition? Maybe it is not “THE” absolutely perfect example of this revolver to put in the NRA Museum.
But it doesn’t miss it by much.
I’d call it, if not perfect then “exceptionally fine” condition.
Just trying to be as fully descriptive and honest as I can be.
Here it is in the wooden presentation case the 1961 revolver came in.
Condition: not absolutely factory perfect but extremely good condition, just the fewest little imperfections.
Here with the case open.
Bottom fabric sort of “velvety”(?), lid fabric sort of a satin or sateen(?).
Where the satin/sateen lid material pressed down against the cylinder for over a half a century, there is a slight discoloration, possibly slight degradation, of the fabric (visible in the picture below the horsey). Balance is fine.
Pictures of each side of the revolver.
Maybe with a glass you could find some imperfection, but it is, overall, really almost perfect. Grips included.
This revolver really is gorgeous.
The pictures really “don’t do it justice”.
The roll-marks on the left side of the barrel.
[It is SO difficult to photograph a curved, shiny, metal surface! grrr... sorry]
How the right side of the barrel is roll-marked.
{{{ continued in Post #2 }}}
.
.
.
.
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