The factory letter states the revolver was shipped on May 28, 1881 and delivered to J.P. Lower & Sons of Denver, Colorado, with a 4 inch barrel in .45 caliber, nickel finish, and pearl grips (currently fitted with checkered walnut). This was a two gun shipment. In the included 1996 dated personal letter to our consignor Charles Marx, noted Colt historian and author Don Wilkerson presented his observations regarding this revolver: "Your SN 5944 Sheriff's model was sent to J.P. Lower. We also have in the survey the other gun in the shipment SN 5942. Both guns are unusual in that they both have fluted frames and lanyard rings. The frames for both of these guns were drilled for lanyard rings before they were fluted by the milling off of the provision for the ejector rod housing. These are the only two I know of as of yet." The revolver is pictured and identified in Wilkerson's "Colt's Double-Action Revolver, Model of 1878" on page 225. In the aforementioned book, Wilkerson noted that only 27 ejectorless Model 1878s chambered in .45 caliber were factory engraved (page 227). Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection

Good overall with a gray patina, some scattered light pitting, overall crisp checkering on the replaced grips. Mechanically fine.