The factory letter lists the revolver in .44-40 with a 4 3/4 inch barrel, and blue finish and indicates it was one of 26 in a shipment on April 4, 1891, to E.C. Meacham Arms Company in St. Louis. The back sides of the grips are inscribed "JAW" (right) and "IKN J" (left). Includes a brown leather holster with floral tooling. An included notarized letter written by gunsmith Fred Q. Walls indicates that he worked on the revolver in 1967 for Zack Miller Jr., son of Zack Miller Sr. of the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. "As I recall Zack obtained the gun from a retired Texas Ranger whose name was Walter Russell. Ranger Russell lived in Kingsville, Texas and his wife taught at the local college. His photograph once appeared on the cover of Live Magazine as result of a political corruption case he was working on in Duval County, Texas involving a man named Parr who had helped Lyndon Johnson get elected to the United States Senate." Walter Russell's (1903-1986) obituary stated: "Walter A. 'Ray' Russell, one of the last of the old-time horseback Texas Rangers, died Saturday at age 83. Russell worked as a cowboy on cattle drives in Arizona and as a cattle detective, before riding with the Arizona Rangers and then with the Texas Rangers. He retired in 1967. 'Walter was the last of the old-time lawmen,' said his wife, Beth Bake, a history professor at Texas A&I. Russell worked at a time when 'being a tough Ranger was the name of the game,' said Kleberg County Sheriff Jim Scarborough." Walls indicates that Miller's "brother-in-law, Jim Gibbs knew Ranger Russell and that was how Zack became acquainted with him. Zack related to me that the Ranger had used and carried the gun at times during his career as a Texas Ranger." The letter also provided the subsequent provenance. Provenance: Texas Ranger Walter Russell; The Zack Miller Jr. Collection; The Garreth Muchmore Collection; The Bill Bishop Collection; The Al Ritter Collection

Good overall with refinished blue, replacement parts (including the barrel, hand, hammer, firing pin and cylinder lock), worn grip checkering, and moderate wear. Mechanically fine. The holster is very good with mild wear.