Bat Masterson’s SAA

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The letter indicates to whom it was shipped (the hardwarestore) but I would want GOOD documentation that Masterson was the actual buyer. Back then one could order directly from the factory and Masterson is known to have done this at least once so would he buy from a hardware store? Also, the one gun that he is known to have ordered he specified gutta percha stocks, so I would wonder about whether he would have wanted ivories like this one wears.

I believe that Masterson was known to have quite a few guns in his life and this could certainly be one of them. At that price I would want to be pretty darn sure.

If authentic I have no idea if the price is realistic. I don't play in this league.
 
While that's very nice and all, it isn't worth anywhere near the asking price. Maybe BEFORE it was "restored", but not now. I guarantee you that those are not the original grips or finish. This is like getting the shot-up carcass of Bonnie and Clyde's car, restoring it to pristine condition and THEN trying to sell it for a bunch of money. The only thing about this gun that bears any historical significance is the serial number and shipment letter. Why the hell can't people leave historical firearms alone and unaltered?!?
 
I would note that the "factory letter" dosen't seem to mention Masterson or anyone else by name. It simply says that the "fancy" revolver was shipped to a Colt distributor ...:scrutiny:

Bat Masterson ordered a number of guns directly from the factory. As a peace officer he could do so, and get a discount. His hand-written letters still exist. I would say that the only true "Masterson Colt's" are those that Colt shipped directly too him. Others are open to question, and I would especially include this one.

Now I want ta' tell your about this Wyatt Earp gun I've got .... :evil: :D
 
I'm a big fan of restoration (as opposed to "refinishing").

I'm even OK with "upgrading". i.e. Getting someone like Doug Turnbull to take an L.C. Smith Field grade, and restore to "Monogram" condition, provided there's a telltale somewhere so it couldn't be sold as an original "Monogram".

But where historical provenance is involved, even the best restoration is suspect - and in this case, I'm not warm and fuzzy with the docs.

I'm no expert, but my amateur guess is that it's overvalued.

By about 73K
 
If my fuzzy memory is working correctly, I once read that Bat Masterson was often approached in his later years and asked if he would sell one of his guns. Usually he was happy to oblige. He would search the pawn shops for well worn specimens, and then sell them as a Bat Masterson gun. Which they were, for a few hours anyway.

He passed away in 1921, so if some one offers you a Colt Gov't Model and says it was owned by Bat Masterson they could be telling you the truth. No way to prove it, but then how would any one prove that he didn't?:p
 
Actually, Masterson was hired by Savage to tout their "10-shots-quick" .32 automatic. Bat even wrote a promotional piece on the pistol, claiming that it was a far better choice the the six-shooters of his frontier youth. ;)
 
For that kind of money old Bat better get up and deliver him self.
I got my fathers unrestored Colt he carried in the 1920's in the Windy city when making beer deliverys. I'll sell it for $30,000 any takers.
 
If you just read the Colt letter it plainly says W.B. Masterson.

976652272-4.jpg


The question I would want answered is, Where was Masterson living/working in February 1882?

Perhaps Masterson had some sort of a connection with the hardware store or one of it's owners/employees?
Maybe he was residing in the area and just used it as a shipping address since it was shipped with 49 other guns?





The seller is asking seventy-five-freaking-thousand dollars for it and they STILL want to stick the buyer with $25 for shipping. :fire:
 
It's probably authentic. Masterson is said to have preferred that barrel length for Police work and liked the high front sight. He is also said to have preferred the hard rubber grips also.
I'll take a pass on it tho. I don't have $75,000 lying around molding.
 
1557:

Photocopies of Colt letters are always suspect, because they can easily be altered. If the revolver was custom made it wouldn't have likely been included in a 30-gun shipment to a distributor. Also given the name, I think that Colt's historian would have commented much more then she did if they could connect this particular gun to a genuine Masterson order.

Masterson ordered a number of guns from Colt, many that were nickel plated, and some that had ivory stocks. These particular guns are known, and have been cited in better research books on Colt Single Actions and/or western history.

During the early months of 1882 He was in or around Pueblo and Trinidad, Colo. Yes, while there he did order a gun from Colt. Yes it did have ivory stocks. But Masterson ordered that it be sent directly to him, and as quickly as possible. Letters from Colt to Masterson confirm that they did so. To further confuse the issue, Masterson also ordered guns for friends.

All of this information is, and would be available to someone creating a fake. I'm not saying that happened, but when dealing with guns that supposedly belonged to a famous person and carry a multi-thousand price tag one should be particularly careful.
 
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That's the smoothest, whitest, 123 year old ivory that I've ever seen. No nicks, no cracks, no grain.

IIRC Masterson was a hired gun hand from 1878-1890. Sometime in the early 1880's he was barred from Kansas for a gunfight where he took refuge in a courthouse, and never returned to the state.
 
REAL Bat Masterson SAA

Thanksgiving day will mark the end of an exhibit of fine firearms at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts which will include a documented Bat Masterson SAA (Not sayinng it is the only one) with his name engraved on the backstrap, and coming from one of the countrys most prolific husband wife collectors, the Koch's

There will also be tow Gold Plated guns from Tom Mix, a gun Bob Ford (killed Jesse James with this gun) and many other incredible guns, even George Armstrong Custer's hunting rifle. Check out www.mfa.org for more info

Doesn't have much to do with this thread, but interesting.
 
Mastersons colt

This gun was sent to me with modern barrel and cylinder installed, no grips. Owner had grips made and requested replacement barrel and cylinder to match letter. Nickel was added. Gun had already been replated before, so restoring it did it no additional harm. we brought it back to it's original configuration. What the owner priced it at had nothing to do with any work done to it.
 
The issue of "Masterson Colt's" can be a confusing one, because he ordered a number of guns, both for himself, but also for friends and associates.

During the early part of 1882 he was in Colorado. Apparently between 1876 to 1885 he ordered at least 9 Single Action Army revolvers directly from Colt's, and 6 of those were ordered between 1882 and 1885. In his later life he was fond of picking up an occasional old Colt from a pawn shop, carving a few notches in the stocks, and then going looking for a sucker. :evil:
 
If you ever did purchase a pistol truly owned by Bat, you'd best be careful if you decided to shoot it, he was known to have them worked on or work on them himself, lightening the trigger pull to the point where the gun would go off if you looked at it funny. :uhoh:
 
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