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Colt Frontier Six Shooter 44-40 1st gen 1881


Warden Callaway

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Sawmill Mary and I broke out of the cabin yesterday and took a ride south to Salem Missouri basically to have lunch out and to watch for hawks and eagles. 

 

We were nearly there when I got a text from good shooting partner Jackson Rose.  He had spotted an old Colt at a gunshop close to him. He sent pictures and major details. 

 

We had lunch as planned and headed to the gunshop with the old Colt.  It would add some 90 miles to our drive. 

 

We made it to the small shop and asked about the old Colt.  They brought it out from the office area.   It came with Colt factory letter and a homespun holster.  

 

Long story long,   we bought it without dragging our feet too long. The weather was changing for the worse We turned onto I70 into snow flurries that kept getting harder as we headed west.

 

Anyway,   here is what we brought home.

 

2001459650_ColtFSSholsteraFeb2020.jpg.453ced775011c1ab53653c069d80a671.jpg

 

239442714_ColtFSSholsterBFeb2020.thumb.jpg.1762b177ee4ef44910065c8d7850d4bf.jpg

 

743515298_ColtFSS1881aFeb2020.jpg.12f5ceba048fb2b16571fc0459df0609.jpg

 

Made in 1881 Frontier Six Shooter 44-40. Nickel plated.  It originally had a 7-1/2" barrel.  Now 5-1/4". The sight expertly installed. All numbers match except loading gate. The the hammer is late 1st generation or early second.  The base pin is not correct for black powder frame. 

 

Here is the great news.  All the inside parts appear as new.  It locks up solid as a vault and is timed well. 

 

The nickel plate is excellent from front of trigger guard forward.  Flakey and worn from trigger guard back. Basically,  everything inside the holster is in great shape.   Everything outside the holster is worn to worn away. 

 

Grips are some homemade handiwork.

 

I'll probably make a video and include more details.  Between the weather and no black powder 44WCF loaded,  it may be a bit.

 

Thanks to Jackson Rose for birddowging it for me.

Colt FSS 1881 b Feb 2020.jpg

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Cool old gun, and boy does that holster have some character!  The loading gate number should match the assembly number on the bottom of the frame under the triggerguard.

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11 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Cool old gun, and boy does that holster have some character!  The loading gate number should match the assembly number on the bottom of the frame under the triggerguard.

 

1056466148_ColtFSSnumbersFeb2020.jpg.e64540c7ae58c8bb661d38c4bfd16b83.jpg

 

The assembly numbers on the frame, trigger guard, backstrap, cylinder and barrel match.  The assembly numbers on the loading gate does not match the others.  Oh well.  

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4 minutes ago, El Hombre Sin Nombre said:

Ok I’ll be the one to ask. How much that cost ya? I’d love to stumble upon a find like that

 

:lol:

 

It took a couple of years of stumbling to come across this one.   Sawmill Mary said when we got in the truck, "You know, now we don't have something to go look for.".  

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10 hours ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Cool old gun, and boy does that holster have some character! 

 

The more I look at the pictures of the holster,  the more I see.  I just wonder who the craftsman was that made it?  The gun was made in 1881 so would have been late for working cowboy era.  If this gun was carried in that holster for as many years as this holster has been in service,  it would be much more worn.  I'm thinking the holster may be older than the gun.

 

Also,  looking at the lacing,  the inner row does not come through to the back. So there are three layers of leather.  

 

And what purpose does the little patch serve on the back?  And it has a tie-down string.  I find that unusual for a high ride belt holster.   I thought maybe a patch but ejector housing is on other side .

 

More pixs. 

 

1769354511_ColtFSSrightsideFeb2020.jpg.46ae74d9c4f008fb726fe8e29a88926f.jpg

 

Worst area of nickel damage.  Grip frame exposed area almost all gone.

 

1850802338_ColtFSSrollmarksideFeb2020.jpg.66e46152b8113dd320bdff6a0e1d09d3.jpg

 

Left side of barrel. 

 

2147082073_ColtFSSrollmarktopFeb2020.jpg.5dbf85d5590e1e90a1e4978157c507df.jpg

 

Top of barrel.

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Good old Colt.  Congratulations, Warden.  
I’d like to come across a period Colt again.  When I was young, in my early-mid 20’s, I cashed out of my beloved possessions to help support my girlfriend and myself after we moved out to California.  Among my other carefully-kept possessions was my old 1880’s Texas Colt......fond memory.  I wonder where it is now?

 

Hang on to yours.

Cat Brules

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Antique Colts are just oodles of fun to own and shoot.

 

74874638_44-405.5ChromeColt.thumb.JPG.d68b1d27c996f758f028132a45c6497f.JPG4440Right.thumb.JPG.82b2b388bad239645fcd7ff9290cd75d.JPG

 

It's a .44-40.  As you can see, all of it's markings have been scrubbed away, the grips are, what can charitably described as, worn.  And it has been given what the guy I bought from described as "a bad chrome refinish."   Because of all of the above, I got it for the princely sum of 500 dollars.   Mechanically, it is pretty perfect.   Everything works the way it should, and it locks up nice and tight.   A great shooter.  I find the gold hammer, ejector, trigger and cylinder pin to be curious.   I really should get a letter for this one.   I've been told it's a perfect candidate for the Turnbill Treatment, but I dunno.  As ugly and worn as it is, it's got character, and I like that.   But still....   According to the serial number it was made in the 1880's.

 

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23 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

It's a .44-40.  As you can see, all of it's markings have been scrubbed away, the grips are, what can charitably described as, worn. 

 

I didn't think too long on the one I bought because all the markings are sharp, numbers matched and fit super good for a gun this old. I've looked at some in person that were basket cases and they still wanted more than the price of a new one.  I watch a dozen or more on GB and none are in as good as this one and starting price higher to much higher.  Plus, this one included letter that confirmed it was a nickel gun from the factory.  And the neat old holster! 

 

I don't plan to restore this old survivor. But I would like to get correctly hammer,  grips (probably reproduction) and bullseye ejector button. 

 

Now I just need another. -_-

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2 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

I don't plan to restore this old survivor. But I would like to get correctly hammer,  grips (probably reproduction) and bullseye ejector button. 

 

 

 

I don't know when they switched from the bullseye to the crescent ejector.  Mine is a crescent, and like yours, it's early 80's.   Yours may be original.   

That's one of the reasons I want to letter this one.  Even if I never restore it, I'm curious to know what it's original finish was, and if those gold parts are original or not.

Sooner or later...  

It's funny, of all the letters I've gotten, all of them are for guns that I know are, in one way or another, not in original configuration.   I just wanted to know what they started out as.

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Made in 1884, the firing pin is cone shaped.  The checkering, well, my eyesight is not good for fine details up close.  It looks like it goes all the way to the left edge, but has a slight border on the right.  It definitely has a border on the front and back end of the checkering.

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16 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

I don't know when they switched from the bullseye to the crescent ejector.  Mine is a crescent, and like yours, it's early 80's.   Yours may be original.   

That's one of the reasons I want to letter this one.  Even if I never restore it, I'm curious to know what it's original finish was, and if those gold parts are original or not.

Sooner or later...  

It's funny, of all the letters I've gotten, all of them are for guns that I know are, in one way or another, not in original configuration.   I just wanted to know what they started out as.

Bullseye ejector was from 1873 to 1881. From 1881 to 1886 they used the crescent with a flair. All of them after that were the straight sides crescent.

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24 minutes ago, KH24 said:

The roll die stamp didn't start until around late 1889, 130,000 serial number range.  Does your trigger guard have the 44CAL or 44CF stamp?

 

 

I got it out again to take a closer look.  I don't see a caliber mark on the trigger guard.  It doesn't have a caliber mark on underside of the barrel next to the frame. 

 

I did some research to make sure were to look.  There was some talk about not all got caliber markings. 

 

2002513817_ColtFSS5401stampFeb2020.thumb.jpg.5edf178aae1b4d9748687e32bf90ac13.jpg

 

What do you make of the stamp 54 and 01?  It's a different font. Just making a wild guess,   could it be the year and month it was rebuilt by Colt?  

 

Much of this gun is more like late first generation. 

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Cylinder stamping.  Earlier you mentioned the assembly numbering the cylinder matched the frame assembly number.  Colts in the 73,000 to 120,000 range still had the serial number -last 4 digits stamped on the outside of the cylinder.

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5 minutes ago, KH24 said:

Cylinder stamping.  Earlier you mentioned the assembly numbering the cylinder matched the frame assembly number.  Colts in the 73,000 to 120,000 range still had the serial number -last 4 digits stamped on the outside of the cylinder.

 

This one is serial # 70605 so it's before 73,000

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I got the old Frontier Six Shooter out a bit ago and shot 10 shots at 10 steps from improvised rest.

 

1753197647_ColtFSStenshot10stepsFeb2020.jpg.a967fe55a1f3d74556e3c17697228c21.jpg

 

Good enough for 139 year old gun and soon to be 70 year old eyes and trigger finger. 

 

Load was 2.2cc Grafs FFG and 200g Lee RF with Thompkins Bore Butter over bullet.  Bucked and barked good!

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2 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

I got the old Frontier Six Shooter out a bit ago and shot 10 shots at 10 steps from improvised rest.

 

1753197647_ColtFSStenshot10stepsFeb2020.jpg.a967fe55a1f3d74556e3c17697228c21.jpg

 

Good enough for 139 year old gun and soon to be 70 year old eyes and trigger finger. 

 

Load was 2.2cc Grafs FFG and 200g Lee RF with Thompkins Bore Butter over bullet.  Bucked and barked good!

There's life in the old girl yet.

 

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Another piece of the puzzle apart.  I got the cylinder bushing knocked out.  I had put penetrating oil on each end each time I had it apart.  It looked like it had made it past the ratchet end to the middle and maybe a start on the face end. I cleaned up the rust and it slides in and out now.

 

1510391290_ColtFSScylbushingFeb2020.jpg.ee8178f1715221b6733e2412ec7e588a.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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Very cool find Warden.  Sure wish I was back in the Missouri & Kansas country were you can find small out of the way gun shops!

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  • 4 weeks later...

The old Six Shooter just got two upgrades.   

 

Colt FSS hammer reweld March 2020.jpg

 

I got the hammer back from Spring Creek Armory in Ten Sleep Wyoming.  Bill Fuchs welded up and recut the second notch.  Bill specialise in Colt SAA repair.  

 

https://springcreekarmory.com/

 

I also fitted the one piece faux antler grips.  (Even though the case head medallions say 45 Colt)

 

1886059050_ColtFSSfauxantlergripMarch2020.jpg.8e2dc04fd1de5921bb6ab2a441ef24e0.jpg

 

How it's dressed and ready for the next match!

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Question: What are the diameters of the cylinder throats?  Also what is the groove diameter of the rifling? A number of these older .44-40's have throat diameters of .425" and rifling groove diameters of .427".  Just curious.

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What's more fun than getting dirty?  Getting dirty shooting black powder loads.

1255135790_ColtFSSdirtyMarch2020.jpg.f880979fcc2558f430086aee6f1502df.jpg

 

Today I shot some 40 loads through it testing my cast bullet loads lubed with Javelina bullet lube.  Javelina lube was all we used back in the day and this was old stock from 30 years ago. The bullet was Lee 200g RF with two small and shallow grooves.  

 

It worked great. The front of the cylinder had a black oily scum but didn't build up or get hard. The fouling scrubbed out easley - even though the bore is a bit frosted. 

 

Powder was Grafs FFg.  I tested 2.2 cc with no filler.   A little punishing!   I dropped back to 1.6cc and an 1/8" wad.  Still plenty of snort. 

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