The Model 1878 revolver was intended by Colt to be a double action alternative to Colt's legendary Single Action Army revolver, and an improvement over their previous foray into the double action market with the Model 1877. With 51,210 being produced, the Model 1878 was never nearly as popular as its single action cousin; however, there were still many that favored it in the West for its firepower, including Captain Jack Crawford, who replaced Buffalo Bill Cody as "Chief of Scouts" shortly after the Battle of Little Bighorn. Offered here is an ejectorless 4 inch barrel Model 1877 simply known as the Sheriff's Model. Whether on the hip of a lawman or under the counter of a storekeeper's shop, these Sheriff's model Colt DAs were at the forefront of taming the wilds in growing cities or the western frontier, as well as in the holsters of all manner of ruffians and outlaws. Today these Sheriff's Model 1878s hold a special place in the hearts of collectors, and this is an excellent example of the highly sought after short barrel, ejectorless model. The accompanying factory letter confirms the 4 inch barrel in .45 caliber and blue finish with the type of stocks not listed. The letter states the revolver was shipped to Charles J. Godfrey Co. of New York City on August 19, 1905. This was a thirty-nine gun shipment. Based on research conducted by Don Wilkerson, Colt only manufactured 290 blued Model 1878s with a 4 inch barrel in .45 LC. The 4 inch barrel is stamped with the two-line Colt Hartford address on top and the caliber designation "45 COLT" stamped on the left side. The left side of the frame features a small encircled Rampant Colt mark just forward of the grip. The finely checkered hammer, smooth trigger, and small screw heads all have a bright niter blue finish. The revolver wears a set of checkered hard rubber Rampant Colt bird's head grips. The cylinder is a surplus U.S. government component as it has sub-inspector Rinaldo A. Carr's "RAC" initials on the rear face. The loading gate is marked with the assembly number "2." The left grip panel is numbered to the gun ("172"). Provenance: The TTT Collection

Excellent, retaining 90% plus bright original high polished blue finish with brown freckling, some light gray surface oxidation on the barrel, and some light high edge wear. The grips are also excellent with crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A very attractive example of Colt's iconic Sheriff's Model 1878 DA revolver.