Who done it?

I received an email from a collector overseas who is seeking more information on who engraved this Colt. Does anyone recognize the work?

I don't know. I got the same e-mail. I will add that I'm not sure that the gun is actually a Colt because there is no stamped legend on the top of the barrel. Rather there is a hand engraved, script "Colt .45."

Roger Bleile said:

I don't know. I got the same e-mail. I will add that I'm not sure that the gun is actually a Colt because there is no stamped legend on the top of the barrel. Rather there is a hand engraved, script "Colt .45."

Click to expand...

Sure is a hack job, isn't it?

It's pretty sorry but the kind of thing that dazzles the uninformed. Here is a picture of the barrel legend of a 4 3/4" SAA by Cuno Helfricht.

IF it's a real Colt SAA, the serial number 39885 without the "SA" prefix or suffix, would make it an 1877 model. It almost looks like it was ground out with a rotary tool of some sort to get the scrolls that rough.

This gun is quite a dichotomy. Parts of the scroll and the edges of some of the relief areas are quite rough.
Not all, but some of the inlays have some very good sculpting that shows a knowledge and skill in depicting animal anatomy.
Could this be the work of different engravers of different skill at perhaps different times?
The bluing looks like a recent hot blue job. Could the gun have gone through some recent restoration/engraving trauma?
It will be interesting to find out the details if we ever do.
PS. On a second look I'm not sure they are inlays.
Some and especially the face on the recoil shield look to be the base steel carved, sculpted and then selective pen gold plated.

Good observations John. I think the design has potential but the execution has much to be desired. Could very well be the work of several people. I was also suspicious of the inlays and was wondering if they were possibly cast. I've seen that done before, as I'm sure you have. Pen plating could be what going on with the bust. I hadn't thought of that!

Yes Sam, pen plating is my guess. If you notice the gold is worn off the high spot, the nose of the bust on the recoil shield and also the background around the bust has a shady gold cast. This can happen in pen plating when the diluted solution is washed down and is very difficult to remove from the rough background. And it is not usually visible until the bluing is done and does not do a complete cover.
There are a couple of other places where the background around the "inlays" did not completely blue and has a shadow gold color.
But you could be right about some other "inlays" being castings.
Both guesses would be easy to verify with the gun in hand but hard to know from mid quality photos.

To me the serial numbers appear to be hand engraved. The two sets of numbers do not appear to be made with the same punch.

We have done quite a few cast inlays over the years.

Once the wax carving is done, the first "master" casting is made and any final detailing to hair/fur or feathers is engraved.

That master is used to make a mold. From that mold a wax is injected and another casting (or 10 or 20+) is made.

From one of those production castings a pantograph master of the silhouette is made.

The piece to be inlayed is positioned in the pantograph and either scribed to have the pocket cut by hand - or, depending on the metal, partially routed out with a rotating cutter. There are almost always details that will have to be hand finished with a graver if you take this route.

The pocket is undercut and burs raised as is done with traditional sheet or wire inlays.

Then the inlay is pressed into place very carefully.

It takes an investment of time to carve the master figure, detail engrave the first casting, make the mold, cast again, and then make the pantograph master - but once that is done, it's done.

You can inlay that particular cast 3D figure whenever you want very quickly... if you keep a small stock ahead.


Brian


Something similar can be done with die struck figures as well.

I'm with John on this one. Looks plated. If you look at the tail of the wolf, (dog, alien cat) or whatever it is on the cylinder, you can see blue on the tail. Plus worn high spots on other areas. I hope he got a smoking deal on this gun and just imagined it might be a Colt.