The Buffalo Bill Colt

Mike Dubber

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
427
Location
Evansville, IN
This Buffalo Bill Colt is a re-creation of an original presented to Col. W. F. Cody as gift from his publisher, The J&H Mayer Company of New York in 1895. In addition to published articles, Mayer was the company that produced many of the original art porters and advertising for the Buffalo Bill Wild West Shows. Although the original Factory Letter resides in the colt Archives, the actual gun has been lost to history. My client asked me to re-create it from the specifications on the Factory Letter.

First, we found a Colt Bisley produced in the same general time period and in good enough condition to serve as the base firearm for project. However, the original was a Flattop Targe Model in .44 Russian (S&W Caliber - a very, very rare Colt. The costs of finding and purchasing a Colt Flattop 7 1/2" in .44 Russian would have been costly. Furthermore, if we had found a matching base, it would not have been prudent to engrave any such a valuable and collectable 1st Gen. Colt Flattop as a replica.

John Powers took on the job of re-creating the base Colt into the correct configuration for the project. When John had finished his Work I did the engraving and gold inlay to match the specs of the 1895 Factory Letter. Monarch Plating plated the cylinder gold and John finished the gun in Charcoal Blue with a Case Colored Hammer...all done to match the original. Eagle Grips fitted the white Pearl grips.

Jim Hasson (Hasson Cases, Apache Junction, AZ) has created an outstanding Presentation Case. The brass case plates and case hardware shown on the Buffalo Bill Poster art were engraved by me for the case - the oval Buffalo goes on the lid and the Master Plate will be placed on a walnut pedestal inside the French Fitted walnut case.

We all look forward to seeing our Buffalo Bill Colt presented and on display at the upcoming Colt Collectors Association Show In Scottsdale, Arizona...October 5 - 8.


BBill_04.jpg BBill_02.jpg BBill_01.jpg BBill_03.jpg
 
Last edited:

JMiller

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Messages
519
Location
Huntsville, AL
Your lettering and plates are always so well done. I’m sure it’s a learned skill from many years of doing… vintage lettering is an art in itself.
 

Mike Dubber

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
427
Location
Evansville, IN
Absolutely a beauty!!!
Do you know who did the original engraving on the Colt?
No, the engraver of the original is unknown. However, the gun was engraved at Colt during the Helfrich years - re: the Helfrich School. Cuno was the shop Master and he looked over and approved all engraving work. We would like to think that he was the engraver, but as we study the process, Cuno may have cut part of the job and others may have been assigned to engrave some of the parts or major pieces.
 

Mike Dubber

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
427
Location
Evansville, IN
Your lettering and plates are always so well done. I’m sure it’s a learned skill from many years of doing… vintage lettering is an art in itself.
Thanks....I spent many years in the jewelry store engraving letters on trophies, rings, watches, pendants and other jewelry accessories, so I learned about lettering early in my career.

It's the most fun, I think, anyone can have hand engraving...designing, cutting and embellishing letters. It's the first thing anyone thinks about when you tell them that you are an engraver. I tell students that most folks will enjoy and admire your scrollwork, not matter how good or bad it is. Likewise, if you do poor lettering (especially the kind novice tries to design themselves) they will see your shortcomings IMMEDIATELY. We learn to see and recognize proper lettering at a very early age, and we all know when it's done incorrectly, even if we don't know why.
 

Mike Dubber

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
427
Location
Evansville, IN
Was this all done with a pneumatic engraver or all hand-push?
Most of the scroll and inlay work was done with a pneumatic tool - specifically the GRS 901 and Monarch hand pieces and the G8 GraverMax. The detail in the bison portrait and other small gold inlay area is done by hand with a burin or bulno pick.
 

Latest posts

Sponsors

Top