The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver with a 5 1/2 inch barrel in .38/40 caliber, blue finish and grips not listed when shipped to Missoula Mercantile Company of Missoula, Montana, on May 4, 1903. This was a single gun shipment. The Eddy-Hammond Company, more commonly known as the Missoula Mercantile, dominated wholesale and retail trade in the Missoula area from 1885 to 1920, and was known as the "go to" shopping center in the town. Across its three floors of space The Mercantile offered hardware, plumbing supplies, local groceries, furniture, farm equipment, and of course guns. Over the years stories about The Mercantile have ranged from urban legends of Ringling Brothers elephants being kept in the basement when the circus was in town, to the true story of the passage in the basement used by John Wayne to move between the store and the nearby Florence Hotel when he was in Missoula. The revolver has standard Colt markings, matching serial numbers on the frame, trigger guard and butt. Fitted with hard rubber checkered grips with the circled Rampant Colt. Provenance: The John Fox Collection

Very fine, retaining 80% original blue finish with some scattered handling marks and light cylinder edge wear, 70% original case colors with some fading around the edges. Grips are excellent as turned to an attractive brown with some light handling marks. Mechanically excellent. Overall a wonderful example of a Montana shipped Colt.