Custom Engraved Colt SAA Bisley .32-20 Single Action Revolver, 1905 C&R

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Sold For $1415.00

Make: Colt

Model: Single Action Army, now assembled as a Bisley Model

Serial Number: 262833

Year of Manufacture: 1905

Caliber: .32-20 WCF

Action Type: Single Action Revolver with Side Loading-Gate Cylinder

Markings: The top of the barrel is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. Co. / HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.” The left side of the barrel is marked “(BISLEY MODEL) 32 W.C.F.” (this marking is shallow and incomplete). The left side of the frame is marked “PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871. / JULY 2. 72. JAN. 19. 75.” and with an encircled Rampant Colt logo (the rampant colt is shallow and incomplete). The loading gate is marked with assembly number “8282”. The bottom-front of the frame and trigger guard are marked “262833”, the butt is marked “262 / 833”. The left-front of the trigger guard is marked “5”. The rear of the cylinder has hand-scribed “7”, “2”, “M”, “T”, “3”, and “B”. The revolver has extensive foliate relief engraving.

Barrel Length: 4 3/4”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade. The rear sight is “V”-notch in the top strap.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two piece checkered hard rubber with rampant colts in ovals at their tops. The grips have light handling wear in the checkering. There are some light nicks and scratches, most notable on the bottom. The right panel has a couple of small losses along the rear edge. The checkering is generally well defined, there are a few spots of more notable wear. There are no cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good-Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: There is some Blue finish remaining, but most surfaces have been polished bright.

Finish Originality: Refinished, most parts have been replaced (see Our Assessment).

Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is worn, but visible. There is scattered light erosion and some pitting in the bore.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 10% of its metal finish. Finish remains mostly in protected areas such as the cylinder flutes, inside and around the corners of the trigger guard, and on the hammer. Most other surfaces have been polished bright. The left-front of the barrel appears to have seen polishing since the engraving was applied. There is some scattered minor surface erosion and discoloration from oxidation. The factory markings range from clear to worn and incomplete. The serial markings on the grip frame assembly are not genuine. The engraving is generally crisp, but the edges are soft on the left of the barrel. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. Overall, this revolver is in about Good condition as assembled.

Mechanics: The cylinder tends to under-rotate. Otherwise, the action functions correctly. The cylinder was made with a removable bushing, but we were not able to remove it. The cylinder locks up with light play on each chamber. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This revolver comes with a Colt Archives letter which indicates that it originally shipped to Wyeth Hardware & Mfg. Company in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 4, 1905 as one of three guns of the same type in the shipment. It originally shipped as a .41 Colt with a 4 3/4″ barrel. The letter does not indicate that this revolver shipped as a Bisley model.

Our Assessment: This is an interesting customized 1st Generation Single Action Army revolver. Originally shipped as a .41 Colt in 1905, the frame has since been assembled as a .32-20 Bisley Model with that model’s distinctive grip frame and wide, low hammer spur. In addition to this customization, the revolver has had attractive engraving applied and most surfaces have been polished bright. This would be a great candidate for restoration