This Colt DA revolver is linked to famed Hollywood icon Gary Cooper by an included Kerr’s of Beverly Hills, California, sales receipt for Robert Rippchen (Kerr's gunsmith) and was subsequently owned by Norman R. Blank. This revolver, along with a Smith & Wesson .357 Registered Magnum revolver no. 650380, are noted on the receipt as “From the estate of Gary Cooper.” The .357 Registered Magnum was proudly featured in our September 2017 Premier sale and sold for $57,500 (see lot 1251). Several documents linked the .357 Registered Magnum to Gary Cooper including a letter signed by Kerr’s store manager Gerald Knight. This Colt was likely one of 26 guns Kerr’s received on March 27, 1962. During a career that spanned 35 years, Gary Cooper appeared in 84 feature films as the leading man and received an Academy Award for best actor for the films "Sergeant York" and "High Noon." Often considered Cooper's greatest performance, "High Noon" was recognized in 2008 by the American Film Institute (AFI) as the second greatest American Western film made of all time. Cooper's screen persona represented the ideal American hero, the tall, slender man of action who possessed incorruptible integrity. Three of his heroic characters (Will Kane, Lou Gehrig and Sergeant York) appeared on the AFI's list of 100 greatest heroes and villains. In AFI's list of 25 leading male stars of classic Hollywood, Cooper ranked eleventh. "Thought of Gary Cooper conjures a great era of the movies when they were part of a national unity that now somehow eludes us," reflected Cooper's biographer Larry Swindell. Cooper died in May 13, 1961, a few weeks after receiving an Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement. This revolver was manufactured in 1940. It is fitted with a set of target sights and period custom smooth target walnut grips. These grips were Cooper’s own special custom touch. The side plate is stamped with a Rampant Colt. The barrel has the two-line Colt legend on top and the model/caliber designation marking on the left side. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame and crane. Provenance: Gary Cooper; Robert Rippchen; The Norman R. Blank Collection

Excellent, retaining 98% plus factory quality reblued finish with limited handling marks, minor oxidation staining on the hammer, and a faint cylinder drag line. The period custom replacement grips are very fine with a few minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. A Gary Cooper owned Colt DA revolver that transcends the firearm collectors' fraternity.