The British Purchasing Commission ordered 163 Colt Single Actions, of which only 13 were in .45 caliber with 5 ½ inch barrels and nickel finish, according to “The 36 Calibers of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver” by Brown. This revolver is identified by serial number in the aforementioned book on page 28. The revolvers were ordered by the British as an emergency replacement for small arms lost by the British Expeditionary Force during the evacuation from Dunkirk in May 1940. The "Battle of Britain" revolvers were the last Colt SAA revolvers ordered under a military contract. These guns were shipped to Winchester and then exported to Great Britain. Unfortunately, there are no Colt factory records available for this revolver. Serial number dates to 1938. The revolver has British proofs along with the standard Colt markings which include the one-line Hartford barrel address, "COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY 45" on the left side of the barrel, two-line patent dates marking followed by a Rampant Colt on the left side of the frame, and matching serial numbers on the frame, trigger guard, and back strap. Both grip panels are numbered "356280" (note the host gun was also a "Battle of Britain" SAA). The matching assembly number "798" appears on the loading gate and rear of the frame. The left side of the trigger guard is marked with the number "4" along with the Colt factory triangle proof. This revolver has the distinction of being one of the last SAA revolvers manufactured by Colt before production ceased in 1940 as well as being one of the very historic "Battle of Britain" revolvers purchased the British for a last-ditch defense when faced with the imminent threat from a German invasion in the summer of 1940. As noted in "A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver," "No other revolver in history has been asked to defend so much for so long--beginning with the Indian Wars of the 1870s through World War II" (182). Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection

Exceptionally fine, retaining 95% plus original nickel finish with a patch of flaking on the front strap, some scattered handling marks, and a light cylinder drag line. The grips are very fine with a few minor handling marks and overall crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A great looking example of a historic "Battle of Britain" Colt Single Action Army Revolver.