‘US’ Marked Colt Single Action Army revolver made in 1874. #13721, cal. .45 Colt, 7.5″ barrel with the correct early italic-style lettering and a very good bore. The barrel is numbered 8622 under the later style ejector rod housing with a crescent-shaped head on the ejector rod. The frame, triggerguard, and backstrap have matching numbers “13721,” with the cylinder correctly having only the last four digits “3721.” The one-piece walnut grip shows moderate wear and has no trace of a military inspector’s cartouche. The frame has a two line patent marking and “U. S.” on the left side, while the triggerguard and backstrap have no military inspector’s initials. The enclosed copy of a factory letter indicates an October 7, 1874, shipping date to Schuyler, Hartley, and Graham—one of Colt’s largest distributors for the western trade. A special notation in this letter states that this is a “Gov’t Sales” gun, meaning that this gun was an overrun on a government contract and sent to the commercial market. The finish was changed by Schuyler, Hartley, and Graham to nickel plating so that retail customers would not be suspected of having a stolen “US” marked revolver. About 5% of this nickel plating remains. All of the factory lettering is in very good condition. The bottom of the backstrap shows scratches where a name was removed and the screw hole in the ejector rod housing is slightly marred. The revolver is in good working order with no worn hammer notches.
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