At Rock Island Auction Company, we like to note “benchmark” examples of firearms when we see them. Guns that have earned this moniker of respect are generally considered SO good, so high condition, or so historic that they serve as a standard by which we can judge other collector arms.

I’ve had the privilege of covering some of the George S. Lewis Jr. collection in recent videos, and it’s been a true pleasure. Not only because the man had exceptional taste in arms (I flatter myself to think we shared similar tastes), but because of the inordinate number of “benchmarks” in his collection.

However, to me Mr. Lewis’ collection is more than just benchmarks, it’s a guidepost. Looking at a collection like this, especially as it unfolds over several auctions, really gives collectors direction for how a collection should look. Not only is it motivating, but the level of excellence he attained in a wide variety of models, even those that aren’t the most popular, is impressive. He found beauty and excellence in atypical places and his collection is a clear reflection of a keen eye that he put to work over decades.

Gun collectors, especially those fond of Colts or wheelguns, should take note of the dozen of Mr. Lewis’ items in RIAC’s August 2024 Premier Auction.  They are a guidepost, not only for what a collection should aspire to, but how to assemble a supremely impressive collection that includes not only the most popular models, but those elite examples from unexpected places.

Without further ado, here are five of my personal favorites from Mr. Lewis’ offerings this August.

A Benchmark Colt Bisley

This is quite possibly my favorite gun in the entire auction. The lines of a Bisley hold great appeal and this one is an absolute screamer, easily one of the very finest examples in existence today. The original bluing is 97%, the case hardening is remarkably vibrant, the nitre blue accents gleam, the carved pearl grips lend their luster, with master engraving attributed to Cuno Helfricht.

They don't get better looking than this pearl/blued/casehardened combination Bisley in phenomenal condition.

Engraved First Generation Colt Single Actions are tough to find, and factory engraved Bisleys drastically moreso. It comes with numerous factory letters, documentation, and even invoices from its 1910 shipment to Chicago retailer Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co.

The pearl grips are monogrammed “FGF” and while no corresponding name appears on the invoice nor shipping records, it was not the only Bisley ordered for FGF. The serial number being offered this August is 314626, but it has a partner out there somewhere, serial number 313622. Both are chambered in .45 Colt, have 4 3/4-inch barrels, blue finish, and FGF monogrammed, carved pearl grips. I think most collectors today would express a strong desire to see them reunited.

Classic Colt Single Action Army

What an absolutely classic Colt. The everybody-wants-one combination of mellowed steer head grips, case hardening, and rich Colt bluing is as universally revered and desired as a ‘57 Chevy. This SAA was also shipped to Chicago, but to the firm of Von Lengerke and Antoine in 1926.  While the Bisley is attributed to the great Cuno Helfricht, this benchmark sixgun was cut by another of the 20^thcentury’s great master engravers, Wilbur Glahn.

A classic American revolver in a beautiful combination, cut by one of America's top 19th century engravers.

The Colt is in undeniably excellent condition, accompanied by an original Colt factory box, bore brush, pamphlets, and other documents from the famed Chicago retailer, but it also comes with two unique twists.

The first is the engraving of the “H.O.M.” initials on the butt. Those belong to the gun’s original purchaser Harry O. Marietta of Des Plaines, IL. Knowing a gun’s original owner is a seldom experienced treat! His name is even hand marked in ink on each of the grip panels, and one of Mr. Marietta’s business cards is included with the Colt.

The handcut "H.O.M." initials on the butt of this picture perfect Colt Single Action.

The second twist to this revolver is that despite being chambered in .45 Colt, the ejector housing is engraved with the words “Colt Frontier Six Shooter.” A letter accompanying the revolver tells the tale.

“In 1928, a Kansas City, MO businessman brought this Colt revolver to me. He said that he had ordered it, as he wanted to have a Colt just like his father had. The barrel on the left side is of course stamped “45 COLT” but on the ejector housing is ‘COLT FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER.’ I explained that ‘Colt Frontier Six Shooter’ designated 44/40 calibre, and asked why he ordered this put on the ejector housing. He explained that the Colt his father had said ‘Colt Frontier Six Shooter’ on the barrel, and so when ordering, as he thought it was a .45, he had the Colt factory put the same lettering as was on his father’s Colt on the ejector housing.”

An unusual marking for a Colt SAA, but one that originates in reverence for a beloved father.

While the author didn’t buy that revolver in 1928, he encountered the revolver again in 1961, still in its ridiculously high condition, and purchased it for the tidy sum of $500; somewhat lower than its current day auction estimate of $65,000 - $95,000.

A stunning Colt, in a beautiful configuration, with documentation and an identified original owner – what else could a Colt collector ask for?

Finest Known Cased 8-inch Colt Third Model Dragoon

Any time the words “finest known” appear in our headline, you can be assured that item is going to attract its fair share of attention. Given Mr. Lewis’ penchant for superb condition items, it’s no surprise the phrase is used for an item from his collection.

This Colt Dragoon 3rd Model is a one-gun wishlist for collectors, but its most important attribute is in two simple words: Finest. Known.

Third Model Dragoons are often overshadowed by their Walker and earlier model counterparts, but this is a Colt that demands to be noticed. First, it points an 8-inch barrel instead of the typical 7-1/2 inch, one of few known in its serial number range that can make that claim. Its scarce rosewood case, is made even rarer because it was created especially for that barrel length.

Second, this revolver shipped in April 1861, the exact month Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, plunging the country into its Civil War. Based on its current condition and 90% plus original blue finish, clearly this Dragoon was not pressed into service. In a fascinating contrast, while it was shipped at the very advent of the Civil War, it was manufactured at the very end of the production run.  Many sources cite a final serial number for Colt Dragoons to be approximately 19,600, and this high condition example bears serial number 19,462.

It was shipped in 1861 to J.C. Grubb & Co. in Philadelphia. Joseph Grubb was a notable arms dealer prior to the Civil War, and rose to the occasion during the conflict. The Quaker businessman became wealthy selling arms, tobacco, and other valuable wartime goods. This Dragoon was one in a shipment of 24, thought to be intended for a Philadelphia Home Guard, but having never seen issuance, SN 19462 may have been a presentation for a high ranking member of the unit.

Near-new Colt New Line

Talk about a perfect companion piece for the Bisley mentioned first in this article. This is a near-mint gun, plain and simple. Manufactured in 1875, few guns tell the tale of “what did it look like right off the assembly line” as well as this Colt New Line.

It's the concealable revolver that demands to be shown off.

While its condition is wonderfully surprising, the fact that it found a home in Mr. Lewis’ collection should not be. In our previous offerings of his collection, we have shown off several outstanding Colt New Lines that have served as virtual checklists for what collectors ought to seek in these little wheelguns. Also not surprising is that this Colt once belonged to another well-known Lewis in the firearms community, collecting icon Mr. Tom Lewis (no relation).

This 2 ¼-inch round barrel beauty brings about 75% coverage of master engraving across its flabbergastingly rich casehardening and deep blued finishes. Normally that level of engraving was reserved for plated finishes, which hindsight and this revolver reveal to be a gross oversight. Glinting with nitre blue highlights and ending in smooth pearl grips, the gun is a fantastic mix of textures, materials, and color.

Its leatherette wrapped case is an understated home for the treasure that awaits inside. The fitted velvet interior is chocolate brown, containing the Colt as well as 25 rounds of .41 RF ammunition and an appropriately diminutive cleaning rod.

You don’t see guns in this condition every day. Readers are highly encouraged to view additional photos on the RIAC website so you can share in the author’s disbelief.

Distinguished Colt Derringer

The guns on the list might be getting smaller, but they’re certainly not getting less impressive. Here we examine a great example of a Colt Third Model derringer. Typically, these small pistols can be found inexpensively and can be a great foothold for a burgeoning collector. However, prices can escalate exponentially when examples approach the top of the genre, as this one does.

Big collector piece in a small package.

Before we examine the pistol, the case is especially worth noting. A cigar-type case, its interior is a rich, navy velvet with a blue silk lined lid – a plush setting for a fine Colt and its accompanying 21 rounds of .41 RF ammunition – but it’s the outside that should draw our attention. The leather bound case has a tooled border on the lid, and on the lid’s center is the letter P embossed in gold in an old English font with a crown/coronet above it. Technically, a coronet is a type of crown reserved for lower ranks of nobility, e.g., dukes, dutchesses, barons, earls, etc. Future research may reveal a wonderful history behind this little Colt.

And what a Colt it is! Small in size, but large in presence, this Third Model derringer is an elegant piece: bright nickel, factory engraved by Cuno Helfricht, with nitre blue accents, and polished horn bird’s head grips so dark and rich, it would not be out of place among fine ebony. Helfricht’s work is always impressive and is especially so on this small canvas, where his scrolls densely fill the tiny spaces, yet still feel flowing. They extend the length of the barrel with a fine flourish at the muzzle, surrounding the front sight.

Just when you think you’ve appreciated all you can of this Colt on its right side, you flip it over and the left is even more impressive. On the right side Helfricht had to accommodate for the ejector housing (a patent from Alexander Thuer, who lends his name to these “Thuer” derringers), but he had no such limitations on the left, allowing the master engraver space for larger, visually impressive scrolls.

This Colt "Thuer" derringer has so much for colelctors to appreciate.

The cherry on top is the derringer’s low serial number of 5047. Colt’s online serial number lookup does not give the year of manufacture for this gun, but knowing that they were produced from 1875 – 1912, and with a  serial number range from 1 – 45,000, one can safely presume it was made in the first several years of production.

It’s difficult for words to do this Colt justice. Thankfully, it has a pedigree that helps convey its importance. Before this Thuer Model was part of the George S. Lewis Jr. Collection, it was housed in the esteemed Robert “The Bear” Bretherton Collection, in addition to other collections and appearances in at least two books.

A fantastic Colt Third Model derringer is special coming from the Lewis Collection knowing they were the model on which he cut his teeth as a collector. In his own words,

“In my early years of gun collecting, like so many of us, I had no direction or particular feel for a way to go or specialize. As time went on, I found that I was drawn to the little Colt derringer, not because it had an interesting history or because it was beautiful or because there are many variations and models to obtain, but mainly because my pocketbook could afford the derringer, and I could compete with the best of the collectors.”

Certainly, with examples like this in his collection, Mr. Lewis never lost his fire for the Colt derringers, choosing to continue to collect better and better specimens, even after his collection became far more advanced.

The engraved nickel against the deep navy velvet is a supremely attractive combination.

It’s a physical example of a collection that has come full circle; from the humble beginnings to some of the very best examples in the genre, demonstrating the type of lifelong dedication that earns a tip of the hat from fellow collectors for providing such a clear guidepost to follow.

The dozen lots available from the George S. Lewis Jr. Collection in the August 23-25 Premier Firearms Auction are all impressive and collectors would do well do add one of his intelligently curated items to their own collection.

One of the Finest Known Colt First Generation Single Action Army in .41 Colt, with rare long flutes, original box, and factory letter.