Colt Antique Revolvers

Colt guns have been inextricably interwoven with American history for more than 150 years. The venerable American firearms manufacturer's long and rich history of gun making includes production of the longtime military standby M-16 and M-4 rifles along with Browning machine guns.

But long before Army Rangers wielded heavy-duty modern Colts, their sidearms were the weapons of choice among frontiersmen and outlaws. Colt is best known for producing the .45 Peacemaker, the six-shooter cowboy companion credited with taming the lawless American West and later celebrated in the annals of the Texas Rangers and John Wayne movies.

The Colt revolver can be traced to Samuel Colt's first factory in 1836, when the maker began cranking out handguns en masse. Many of the finest examples of antique Colt revolvers are decorated with elaborate engraving and scrollwork. A number of pieces were custom made to buyer specifications, crafted in a variety of finishes with specialized grips fashioned from everything from traditional walnut to mother of pearl and ivory. With a broad range of offerings available spanning from upstart days to the current era, Colt revolver collectors rarely misfire.

Quick Facts

• In 2014, a Colt .45 said to belong to lawman Wyatt Earp and possibly carried at the O.K. Corral went for $225,000 at a J. Levine Auction & Appraisal sale
• In 1987, an 1873 single-action .45-caliber Colt revolver, the first six-shooter produced, was sold for $242,000 at a Christie's New York auction
• A Colt .45 Model 1873 single-action revolver with a distinctive stag horn grip owned by General George S. Patton sold for $75,000 at a June 2015 Profiles in History auction