The accompanying Colt factory letter dated January 25, 1999, confirms configuration and shipment to Pacific Hardware and Steel Company, San Francisco, California, on March 22, 1906, just 26 days before the San Francisco earthquake tragedy! Pacific Hardware had been constructed just one year prior and was one of the few buildings to survive in the district. The features of this Colt are as follows: Blade front sight and frame notch rear sight. Two line block letter address on top of the barrel, "(BISLEY MODEL) 38 W.C.F." on the left side of the barrel and the left side of the frame is marked with the two-line, three patent dates followed by the circled Rampant Colt. The frame and hammer are casehardened, and the remaining metal surfaces are blue. Wide low hammer spur and wide trigger with characteristic "humpback" grip. Matching serial number on frame, trigger guard and backstrap, and the loading gate is marked with the assembly number "2898". The left front of the trigger guard is marked with the Colt triangle "VP" proof, and the left rear is marked with the number "5". Fitted with two piece checkered hard rubber grips with the Rampant Colt in an oval at the tops. Complete with the original maroon hinged lid box numbered to the gun with Bisley picture label and correct factory end labels. Provenance: The George S. Lewis Jr. Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Excellent. The revolver retains 95% plus of the bright original high polished blue finish with some minor box wear and flaking present on the barrel, a couple of areas of minor pitting on the cylinder and toe of the backstrap, and a few minor dings and handling marks. The frame and hammer retain virtually all of the vivid original case colors. The grips are also excellent with only light handling marks and sharp checkering. The markings are sharp and clear. Mechanically excellent. The factory picture box is fine with the exception of a corner on the lid, pieces of the labels flaked off around the edges and edge wear on the lid. The box is remarkably sound. This extraordinary Colt Bisley revolver is rare in that it is one of only a few known with its original picture box and a survivor of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 in truly exceptional condition.