Offered here is a rarity in Colt collecting as it is one of only 6 nickel finished, 5 1/2 inch barrel, black powder Colt Single Action Army Flattop Target Revolvers in .32 S&W (see "The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver 1873-1895" by Wilkerson and Hoyt, page 402; note .32 S&W target, .32 S&W Gallery, and .32-44 referred to the same basic cartridge). The authors of the aforementioned publication confirmed from the factory records that all six of these revolvers were shipped to E.C. Meacham Arms Co. of St. Louis, on December 8, 1888. "An educated guess," wrote the authors, "would be that the six revolvers to Meacham were for a single buyer, most likely a shooting gallery in St. Louis" (page 203). The six gun shipment and configuration (type of stocks not listed) for this revolver is confirmed in the accompanying factory letter. Per our consignor the revolver was verified by Tom Haas Jr. as beautifully restored in the 1970s by Tom Haas Sr. and Horacio Acevedo. The revolver is fitted with target sights, a barrel marked with the one-line Hartford address on top, a frame marked with the three-line patent dates on the left side, and a trigger guard marked "32 CAL" on the left side. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. The revolver wears a set of checkered hard rubber grips featuring an embossed Rampant Colt and American Eagle. Includes a period floral tooled Fred Biffar leather open top holster and a full box of period Winchester .32-44 Gallery cartridges featuring a red label.

Very fine as professionally restored, retaining 98% plus of the nickel finish, minimal handling marks, and a very faint cylinder drag line. The period replacement grips are also very fine with overall crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The holster is very fine. One of the rarest calibers of the Colt Single Action Army Flattop Target Revolvers that is missing from even the most advanced collections.