Lot 1082

Montana Shipped Special Order Colt Single Action Army Revolver

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Montana Shipped Special Order Colt Single Action Army Revolver

Estimate: $7,500 - $12,000

Starting Bid: $6,500

(0 Bids)

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

Montana Shipped and Silver Bow County Deputy Sheriff Carried Special Order Colt First Generation Single Action Army Revolver with Checkered Walnut Grips and Grip Straps, Lanyard Ring, and Light Trigger Pull with Miles City Saddlery Holster Rig and Factory Letter The included factory letter lists this incredibly rare special order Colt Single Action Army in .45 caliber with a 4 3/4 inch barrel, blue finish, checkered wood grips, checkered trigger guard and back strap, and light trigger pull and indicates it was the sole gun of this type in a shipment to Carl Engel in Butte, Montana, on June 19, 1905. The combinations of special order features on this revolver are extremely rare. The revolver features the noted checkering on the grip straps and walnut grips as well as a period replaced Bisley style wider trigger with a lightened trigger pull and has been fitted with a lanyard loop on the butt. It also features blade and notch sights, the two-line barrel address on top, "45 COLT" on the left side of the barrel, the two-line patent marking and encircled Rampant Colt on the left side of the frame, a "5" on the left side of the trigger guard, "U" on the heel on the left and right, assembly number "5768" on the loading gate, the matching partial serial number "8166" on the back of the cylinder, and the full matching serial number on the bottom of the barrel, frame, trigger guard, back strap, and inside of each grip. It is accompanied by a "MILES CITY SADDLERY Co/MAKERS/MILES CITY. MONT." marked brown leather holster and cartridge/money belt. Included correspondence includes two letter from Harold O. Wheeler to Eldred K. Eade of Evanston, Illinois, one in 1926 when the revolver was sold and another in 1931 stating he could not give much information on the revolver Eade had purchased from him a few years prior other than that he had sold it as the administrator of his brother's estate. "Guns had been his life time hobby and he knew about all there was to know about them and was very expert in the use of them...The one you purchased was for years his personal favorite and the one he carried many years he was Sheriff of Silver Bow County in this State and on all other needed occasions. He always insisted the single action gun was the best gun, although he had several other much finer ones that had been specially built for him and presented to him by Colt's, Smith and Wesson and others. I am sure he always considered the gun accurate and I can't account for its shooting high as you say. Nor can I tell you what to do for it. Perhaps you sight it a little to coarsely. If so an accurate adjustment to suit your habits would seem the best remedy and a uniform load. I cannot give you any information concerning the marking except my brother either did it himself or had some friend do it for him. I remember him telling me once but I don't remember. The gun by the way belonged originally to an old crony of his, one John Collins, an old time Texas cow man and an early day foreman on the famous Conrad ranch in this State. Collins also was a marvelous gunman." He indicates that Collins had wanted to buy it back after Wheeler's brother's death, but that he had already sold it to Eade by that time. A letter from Colt to Eade on June 11, 1931, lists that the revolver had been shipped to Engel on the above date, and another letter to Eade from Engel who states Eade had purchased the revolver from H. O. Wheeler of Havre, Montana, and formerly belonged to John Collins. Engel stated: "I knew Mr. Collins quite well, and no doubt he purchased the revolver from me." He further indicated that Collins had died two years prior, and Engel had been out of business for over 13 years. Engel (1871-1956) ran a sporting good store in Butte, Montana, in the early 20th century and was a deputy sheriff in 1925-1931 and later worked as an insurance agent. Our research confirmed Wheeler's brother was the noted marksman and Silver Bow County Deputy Sheriff George Melvin Wheeler (1872-1924). He was originally in the mercantile business in Montana starting in the 1890s and worked as a deputy starting in 1907 when his business partner Charles S. Henderson was sheriff of Silver Bow County. He moved from Butte to Havre, Montana, c. 1920 and was the manager of the Lyric Theater when he died suddenly in early December 1924. His obituaries noted his work as a deputy sheriff and that he won the national rifle championship in 1911. On Feb. 19, 1916, of "The Butte Daily Post" reported Wheeler to be one of the "best revolver shots in the country." He may have purchased the revolver from John Philip Collins (1863-1930), a well-known Butte pioneer and engineer who tragically hung himself with dynamite fuse cord after a bout of illness

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: Single Action Army

BBL: 4 3/4 inch round

Gauge: 45 Long Colt

Finish: blue/casehardened

Grips: walnut

Serial Number268166

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: Carl Engel; John Collins; Deputy Sheriff George M. Wheeler; Harold O. Wheeler; The Eldred K. Eade Collection; The Brig & Louise Pemberton Collection
  • Condition: Very good as period refinished with 70% plus blue remaining, traces of original case colors, silver-gray patina on the balance, crisp checkering and markings, and mild wear. The grips are good with crisp checkering and light handling and storage marks. The revolver is slightly out of time but otherwise functions with a light trigger pull. The attractive holster rig is very good with mild overall wear and the lower loop on the holster absent. Overall, a fascinating set.

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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