Lot 1092

Glahn Factory Engraved Colt Frontier Six Shooter Revolver

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Glahn Factory Engraved Colt Frontier Six Shooter Revolver

Estimate: $55,000 - $85,000

Starting Bid: $47,500

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 22, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Outstanding Wilbur Glahn Factory Grade "A" Engraved Colt First Generation Frontier Six Shooter Single Action Army Revolver with Pearl Grips, Factory Letter to Mel Torme, and Notarized Letter from the Original Owner Manufactured in 1939, this is a truly outstanding example of a factory engraved Colt Frontier Six Shooter that remains in an extremely high level of condition that is seldom seen on today's collectors market. As one of the most iconic American firearms of all time, high condition examples of the Colt Single Action Army remain relentlessly sought after by collectors, particularly those that are also factory engraved. Though many of the most famous and desirable Single Action Army revolvers were engraved, using the most liberal statistics, only 2,500 Colt Single Action Army revolvers were factory engraved prior to World War II. This incredible revolver from late in the First Generation was engraved while Wilbur Glahn was responsible for most of the engraving at Colt. He engraved only a select number of Single Action Army revolvers given a large share of the rare factory engraved Single Action Army revolvers were engraved before he even arrived in Hartford. Any surviving Glahn engraved Colt is a significant treasure, and this revolver's extremely high condition combined with its rarity certainly makes it an exceptionally desirable revolver. The included copy of a 1951 dated factory letter is addressed to the incredibly talented American musician and legendary collector of fine arms Mel Torme, also known as "The Velvet Fog". In that letter, this revolver is noted as being listed in the ledgers with a 7 1/2 inch barrel, .44-40 caliber, Grade "A" engraved, and fitted with pearl grips when shipped on 27 June 1939 to G. Van Guilder in Sun Valley, Idaho. A later 2021 dated factory letter notes that since the time of the 1951 letter the shipping records for Single Action Army revolvers from 1933 to 1944 had been lost or destroyed. Also included is a copy of a 1950 dated notarized letter which states that this revolver, listed by serial number, was won as a first prize trophy at the Pioneer Pistol Shoot held in Sun Valley, Idaho on 21 July 1940 by Geo Strickler. This revolver would have certainly made for a very handsome prize at that time, and it has every appearance of having been treated as such to this day. The Grade "A" engraving shows minimal, very tasteful coverage and was executed by the gifted hand of Master Engraver Wilbur Glahn, with the scrollwork on the sides of the frame continuing on to the sides of the trigger guard in an unbroken fashion, a signature trait of Glahn's work. Similar examples of Glahn's Grade "A" engraving are pictured on p. 579 and 583 of "The Colt Engraving Book Vol. II" by R.L. Wilson. The revolver shows beautiful flourishes of scrollwork on the breech end of the barrel, chambers of the cylinder, recoil shield and loading gate, sides of the frame, top of the frame, bottom of the trigger guard, and bot the top and bottom of the back strap. The top of the barrel has the standard one-line address, while the left has the Frontier Six Shooter and caliber marking. The left side of the frame is marked with the standard two-line patent dates followed by the Rampant Colt. The matching serial number is on the bottom of the frame and the right side of the trigger guard and back strap under the grip. It is fitted with the classic blade front and frame-top groove rear sights, as well as highly attractive pair of factory original smooth pearl grips with Colt medallions.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: Single Action Army

BBL: 7 1/2 inch round

Gauge: 44-40 WCF

Finish: blue/casehardened

Grips: pearl

Serial Number356967

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: Won as a First Prize Trophy at the Pioneer Pistol Shoot in Sun Valley, Idaho, by Geo Strickler; The Mel Torme Collection; A Private Collection
  • Condition: Excellent, retains 97% plus of the original blue finish and 95% plus of the original case colors, remaining more vibrant in sheltered areas, light wear at the muzzle, some very minimal handling evidence on the grip straps, a light cylinder turn line, and extremely crisp engraving. The grips are excellent with a couple extremely light edge chips on along the back strap and otherwise only the slightest handling marks. Mechanically excellent. This is an outstanding example of a desirable Wilbur Glahn factory engraved Colt First Generation Frontier Six Shooter that was part of the elite Mel Torme Collection of Colt Single Action Army revolvers!

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000