Offered here is a prize in Colt collecting: a factory engraved SAA. It has been estimated that approximately 4,500 or .012% of the total First Generation Colt Single Action Army Revolvers manufactured were engraved. The accompanying factory letter lists this revolver with 4 3/4 inch barrel, blue finish, pearl stocks with carved eagle motif (currently wearing hard rubber grips), and factory level 3 engraving when it was sold to Colorado Supply Co. (locations in Pueblo and Trinidad, Colorado) and shipped to Simmons Hardware of St. Louis, MO on December 4, 1913. This was a single gun shipment. Colorado had a well known reputation for being an unforgiving and lawless environment as settlers pushed westward in their quest to build their own American Dream. Years of unrest and bloodshed paved the way for a region that would soon be famed as the beacon of development of the West, and newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune hailing of the region's lawless reputation had given away to agriculture with triumphant rhetoric. This factory engraved Peacemaker certainly has the look of being carried by a rancher or businessman striving to tame the wild and unruly Colorado frontier. The factory level 3 engraving consists of famed Cuno Helfricht shop scrollwork on punch dot background along with zig zag line motifs and star burst and fan patterns. The barrel has the two-line Hartford address on top and "32 WCF" inside a banner on the left side. The left side of the frame has the two-line patent dates marking inside a banner and followed by a encircled Rampant Colt. The left side of the trigger guard has the Colt factory triangle proof and the number "1." Matching serial number appears on the frame, trigger guard, back strap, cylinder ("8003") and barrel ("8003").

Good with once removed finish, traces of blue in the protected areas, most of the engraving remaining crisp except for the cylinder and replacement grips. The action functions but the half cock is missing. This very scarce factory engraved, Colorado sold Peacemaker is a must have for the Colt SAA or frontier collector as it is a tangible link to America's Westward expansion.