1907 COLT BISLEY SAA FRONTIER SIX SHOOTER 44-40 - ENGRAVED BY RUDY MAREK - EL PASO, TX SHIPPED
Description:
***SOLD*** DOCUMENTED EL PASO, TEXAS SHIPPED BISLEY, 44-40 CALIBER REVOLVER, 4 3/4", #289719, SHIPPED 1907. The accompanying Colt Authentication Letter verifies the gun’s caliber, barrel length, blue finish, etc. (grips not listed), as well as its shipping to Krakauer, Zork & Moye Co., El Paso, Texas on February 25, 1907, in an order of 12 revolvers. Some of the company’s ledgers still exist and this Bisley was recorded as being sold to “Bianes & Valdez” on March 25, 1907. Bianes, Valdez & Co., owned the La Feria (aka "The Fair") store, in the now-historic Chase Creek District of Clifton, Arizona. The town of Clifton was officially founded in 1873 at the end of the 26-year Apache Wars. Army scouts on the trail of marauding Apaches noted copper out-croppings on the canyon walls of a stream, later named Chase Creek. They returned after the war with adventurous miners and businessmen eager to prospect for valuable metals. Clifton soon became a booming mining town where the Arizona Copper Company and the Detroit Copper Company were established. Interestingly, Pancho Villa’s primary sidearm during the Mexican Revolution was a Colt Bisley caliber 44-40 manufactured in 1912.
Later in life, this gun was tastefully deep hand scroll engraved by Rudy Marek, former Colt Engraver, including a buffalo head on the loading gate. The grips are beautiful Burl Walnut. The gun is in very fine overall condition as masterfully embellished by Rudy Marek, with 100% bright case colors. It has a 4-3/4 inch barrel with the correct 2-line barrel address and the "Colt Frontier Six Shooter" marking on the left side. All matching numbers on the frame, trigger guard, and backstrap. The backstrap has the initials “MP” engraved on it. Only 6,803 of the 44,350 Bisley models produced were chambered in 44-40 caliber, and it was the only caliber to have a special name, instead of the caliber marked on the barrel. The 44-40 (aka 44 WCF) was very popular in its day as it gave frontiersmen the option of having a rifle and pistol chambered for the same cartridge. The barrel of this 116-year-old showpiece collector is signed “Engr. by R. W. Marek”.
Rudolf William “Rudy” Marek (1928-1999) is featured, along with 39 other renowned engravers, on page 113 of Roger Bleile’s book, AMERICAN ENGRAVERS, published in 1980. The following information is paraphrased from the book: Rudy W. Marek began engraving in the 1940s. He later received training from a Czech jewelry engraver. In the 1950's he traveled to Chicago seeking information about gun engraving from the renowned gun engraver, Arnold Griebel who he found to be uncooperative. Marek’s first paid engraving commission was in 1956. He worked full-time as a police officer and part-time as an engraver. In the late 60s, Marek worked for several years as a custom engraver for the Colt factory.
Also renowned for his ability to replicate any antique firearm, Rudy Marek was the subject of a feature titled “Cannon Father Leaves Sons Explosive Inheritance” on Fox Business Network’s reality show, Strange Inheritance.
SOLD
Handgun Caliber: .44-40 Winchester (.44 WCF)