Manufactured in 1878, this is both an early production and extremely desirable example of a black powder frame Colt Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army revolver that was shipped to J.P. Lower's sporting goods store in Denver, Colorado, back when the American frontier remained very much a wild and untamed land, and it includes a Lower holster and cartridge belt. The included factory letter confirms the configuration (barrel length and grips not listed, meaning 7 1/2 inch and walnut) and shipment to J.P. Lower in Denver, Colorado on 16 September 1878 in a shipment of four guns. In 1872, Lower moved his family to Denver. In 1875, he purchased the famous Freund Brothers' gun shop and established his "Sportsman's Depot". J.P. Lower is often credited with setting up the first firearms retailer west of the Mississippi River, and while that isn't necessarily true, the Lower shop was certainly one of the most well-known west of the mighty river. In his memoirs, Lower notes that by 1878 he was already selling around 50 Single Action Army revolvers per month and was ordering as many as he could afford. Some of the most famous gunslingers of the day such as Buffalo Bill Cody and Kit Carson purchased firearms from his Denver store. The popularity of his shop led Lower to proclaim that "he had probably armed every Colorado Territory lawman, badman, Indian and gambler." This "Frontier Six Shooter" Colts would have been extremely popular in the American West, mainly due to being chambered in the same caliber as the Winchester Model 1873. For someone in the West, arming themselves with a Frontier Six Shooter and a Model 1873 meant that they only needed to buy and carry one type of ammunition. The .44-40 cartridge was easily attainable and prolific in the frontier, and due to its use in both of these legendary firearms, the cartridge itself has become an icon of the American West. As stated, the revolver itself was manufactured in 1878 and has the single-line Colt address on top of the barrel. The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER" in the desirable acid etched panel. 1878 was the first year in which Colt used the etched panel on the barrel of the Frontier Six Shooter, and it is quite possible that this revolver was part of the first shipment of etched barrel Frontier Six Shooters that Lower received. The left side of the black powder frame is marked with the three line patent dates, and the caliber marking of "44CF" is on the left rear of the trigger guard. The matching serial numbers are marked on the bottom of the frame, trigger guard, back strap, and faintly in ink inside the channel of the grip. The assembly number "2189" is marked on the inside of the loading gate. It is fitted with a blade front sight, frame top groove rear sight, and a smooth walnut grip. The desirability of this revolver and its frontier history continues, as it includes a J.P. Lower marked holster and a cartridge belt with a Lower buckle. The holster is of the early "Slim Jim" or "California" pattern, which was simply a continuation of the popular style from the age of percussion and conversion revolvers. The "J.P.LOWER/DENVER" marking is on the body near the top, just below the deeply recurved throat, and there is a lightly tooled border. It is configured for a right handed shooter and will accommodate a Colt Single Action Army revolver with a 7 1/2 inch barrel. It is lined with soft buckskin, has a belt loop on the back secured with three brass rivets, and has a sewn in teardrop shaped toe plug. The belt itself does not appear to be Lower marked, but it is fitted with a brass buckle from his shop that is marked "JOHN P. LOWER/SPORTSMENS/DEPOT/DENVER COL" and has the appearances of having been paired with the belt for a significant amount of time, possibly since it was made. The belt is 1 3/4 inches wide, 39 inches long including the buckle and clasp, and has a single row of .44 caliber sized cartridge loops. Also included is a copy of the book "Sixty Seven Years in the Gun Trade: The Historical Accounts of J.P. Lower" by David A. Lanara, which shows a picture of a similar belt buckle on p. 71.

Very good plus, retaining traces of the original blue finish in sheltered areas with the balance mostly a smooth grey patina and some scattered patches of light surface pitting/oxidation, typical of a sidearm that saw many years of use on the frontier. The grip is very good with some mild wear and some scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. The holster and belt are both fine with moderate wear and some age cracking associated with use in the American West, and almost all of the stitching remains tight. This is an incredible opportunity to own a documented J.P. Lower, frontier shipped, Colt Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army revolver as well as a frontier issued holster rig, all of which exude the character and romance of America's western frontier!