Make: Colt
Model: Single Action Army, Frontier Six Shooter
Serial#: 89935
Year of Manufacture: 1883
Caliber: .44-40 Winchester
Action Type: Single Action Side Loading Gate Revolver
Barrel Length: The barrel has been cut to approximately 5 3/8".
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a blade fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a "V"-notch integral to the topstrap.
Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The grips are two-piece smooth pearl panels. The grips have some losses at edges and corners. The pearl has discolored a little with age and handling. Overall, the grips are in Good condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Nickel
Finish Originality: Replated at time of engraving. Numbers match.
Bore Condition: The bore is dark with well defined rifling. There is erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. The barrel was inexpertly cut, leaving the muzzle uneven. In this writer's opinion the bore rates 4/10.
Overall Condition: The pistol retains about 4% of its metal finish. There is infrequent and scattered remaining finish, mostly on the hammer and in the topstrap groove. Other surfaces have gone to a uniform moderate-dark patina. There is scattered light surface erosion. There are some nicks and scratches. The head of the cylinder pin is disfigured and a custom detent recess has been cut for the pin's retaining screw. In addition to the barrel cut, the front sight was inexpertly installed. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. Most markings range from clear to worn, but legible. The etched panel has completely worn off the left of the barrel. Overall, this revolver is in Good-plus condition as custom Antique.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this revolver. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box Paperwork and Accessories: Included is a Colt Archives letter which indicates that this revolver was produced as a .44-40 with nickel finish and shipped March 30, 1883 to John P. Moores Sons in New York, NY as one of 25 guns of the same type in the shipment. The letter does not list barrel length or type of stocks.
Our Assessment: The Colt Single Action Army is perhaps the quintessential old west handgun, produced for more than a century, serving the U.S. Army as its sidearm from 1873 into the first world war and captivating audiences on the silver screen. This example is a 1st Generation Single Action Army made in 1883 and chambered for .44-40 Winchester, dubbed the Frontier Six Shooter. The earliest Frontier Six Shooters had this name applied to the barrel in an acid-etched panel which was quite prone to wear, and this example has completely lost the panel.
The revolver shipped to John P. Moores Sons, one of Colt's largest distributors, and likely where the revolver received its current New York-style engraving, possibly even the currently installed pearl stocks. The engraving style is indicative of Otto Bodenstein, a renowned engraver of the period. It originally shipped with a nickel finish and replated at the time of engraving. There is a little remaining nickel. Customization continued after leaving J. P. Moores Sons, with the barrel inexpertly cut to about 5 3/8" and a new front sight installed.
The result is a distinctive 1st Generation Frontier Six Shooter that appears to have seen a long and useful life. While it shows its age, it will display well and is a prime candidate for restoration. Please see our photos and good luck!
