COLT FACTORY PRESENTATION MODEL 1855 SIDE HAMMER SHOTGUN TO RETIRING COLT EMPLOYEE IN 1868.
SN 967. Cal. 10 Gauge. Spectacular deluxe revolving shotgun, blued finish and color case hardened hammer with 30" oct to rnd bbl and single nickel silver bead. Mounted with highly figured, checkered American walnut buttstock and small uncheckered forearm with nickeled brass tip. Buttstock has a smooth steel buttplate. Forearm is secured with a single key through nickeled brass escutcheons. Bottom of bbl has a metal rib with two iron guides containing an original Colt brass tipped, gutta percha wiping rod. It has a 5-shot fluted cylinder with usual frame & cylinder markings. The top tang is inscribed in period script engraving, “Presented to Wm. Tuller by Colt’s P.F.A. Mfg. Co. Oct. 1st 1868″. Accompanied by a seven page letter from renowned Colt authority, historian and author, Larry Wilson wherein he presents great detail regarding Mr. Tuller’s employment as final inspector for the Colt assembly line. He relates that in March of 1857, an 18 page article appeared in THE UNITED STATES MAGAZINE entitled “A Day at the Armory of Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, Hartford, Connecticut”. This article was published on p.357 of HISTORY OF THE COLT REVOLVER, Haven & Belden. Mr. Tuller was apparently an inspector for several years and his small “T” will be found on many early Colt firearms. Mr. Wilson indicates that Mr. Tuller retired on Oct. 15, 1868 and had been an employee of Colt’s for their entire existence up to that point. Mr. Wilson lists a review of the Colt Factory Journal “B”, on p.588 and under the date Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1868, shows that this shotgun was presented to William Tuller with appendages “As per day book 45/48″. Mr. Wilson states that this book no longer exists and that no entry can be found for this shotgun in Colt records, probably due to the flood in the 1930s. Mr. Wilson states that this shotgun will be featured in future editions of THE COLT ENGRAVING BOOK and in other publications. Also accompanied by copies of the cover and p.74 of COLT PRESENTATIONS FROM THE FACTORY LEDGERS 1856-1869, by Houze. It shows p.588, dated Tuesday, November 17. 1868 that a 30″ 75 cal. shotgun and appendages were presented to “Wm Tuller as per Day book 45.48″. There is an asterisk, “William Tuller retired from the Colt company on October 15, 1868″. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine. Retains virtually all of its fine orig factory finish to both metal & wood; bbl has scattered light spots of surface rust and a scratch near the muzzle and is turning slightly plum; ramrod is extremely fine; frame retains 92-94% glossy bright orig blue with the flaked areas a dark patina; cylinder retains 70-75% glossy bright orig blue with the flaked areas a dark patina; hammer retains 50-60% silvered case colors and the loading lever about 80% dark case colors. Wood is sound, with the stock having a few grain checks on both sides and normal light handling & storage marks on both stock & forearm and both retain most of their bright orig factory varnish; buttplate retains 30-40% orig blue with the balance flaked to a dark patina. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. This fine shotgun is probably unfired and any finish loss is from flaking & storage, not wear. 4-47898 JR126 (35,000-50,000)