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Remarkable Pair of Wilbur Glahn Master Factory Engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolvers
"According to The Book of Colt Firearms by Wilson, of the 357,859 1st Generation Single Actions manufactured, only about 1,000 were factory engraved."
LOT 1278
Exceptional Documented Special Order Pair of Factory Engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolvers with Opposite Relief Carved Steer Head Grips and Factory Letter -A) Colt Single Action Army Revolver - Serial
no. 352449, 45 Long Colt cal., 5 1/2 inch round bbl., blue/casehardened finish, original grips. This incredible pair of revolvers was manufactured in 1928 and factory engraved with Grade B engraving by Master Engraver Wilbur A. Glahn. The revolvers are accompanied by a pair of Colt factory letters which describes the features as: “Caliber: 45/c, Barrel length: 5 1/2”, “Finish: Blue, Type of Stocks: Ivory, Factory Engraved: Yes”, and “Special Notation: S.H. L. Stock” (Steer Head Left) for the first revolver and “S.H. R. Stock” (Steer Head Right) for the second. The letters further state that the revolvers were shipped to J.S. Cronthers on October 22, 1928, in order 15371/1 and 15372/1 respectively. The name of the recipient is likely misrecorded. “Cronthers” is a surname that is scarcely recorded in American records whereas “Crothers” is a fairly common surname. If so, the pair may have been shipped to and owned by Private Jackson S. Crothers (1896-1968) of South Dakota who served in the U.S. Army in World War II, or one of several other matching individuals from the period. The barrel, ejector housing, frame, loading gate, trigger guard, back strap, and cylinder of each revolver are decorated with flawlessly executed scroll engraving. The engraving is nearly identical to the engraving on Colt Single Action serial no. 352131 also engraved by Glahn in
1928 and illustrated on page 574 of “The Colt Engraving Book Volume Two” by R.L. Wilson. The two-piece stocks are inlaid with nickel-silver Colt medallions and feature relief-carved steer heads on one side. The steer head is on the left of “A” and the right of “B” as noted in the factory letters.
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