This Grail-Worthy Colt ‘Texas Paterson’ Revolver Could Be Yours
Before Samuel Colt’s behemoth of a firearms company produced the 1911, the Python, or the Single Action Army, the entrepreneurial industrialist brought the world’s first commercially successful repeating firearm to fruition. Named for the New Jersey town in which it was produced, the Colt Paterson presented a solution to a problem that gun designers had been trying to solve for centuries. Instead of reloading after every shot, the user could pre-load cartridges into a five-chamber cylinder that automatically rotated and aligned each chamber with the barrel at pull of the hammer.
To put it simply, the Paterson is the progenitor of multi-shot firepower. Fewer than 3,000 of these revolutionary pistols were produced, and of those, 1,000 were the largest No. 5 Holster Models, aka “Texas” Patersons—the first Colts to see military and frontier service. The nickname comes from its adoption by the Texas Rangers, most notable of whom was famed lawman Samuel Walker. His experience wielding his .38-caliber Paterson in battle against the Comanches informed his and Colt’s co-creation of the Colt Walker Model revolver, itself the patriarch of an entire family of improved wheelguns. Of the Texas Patersons, the example seen here is the finest extant.
Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC), which is selling the weapon this May, takes its significance a step further. “This is the most desirable Colt outfit ever offered for sale at any time. Aside from the fact that it will be some collector’s most treasured arms possession, it will also prove a gilt-edged investment for the future.”
RIAC cites its excellent overall condition, noting approximately 98 percent of its original blue finish is intact. The ivory grips are also in remarkable shape for their age, exhibiting a pleasant, mellow patina, and the accompanying case and accessories range from excellent to mint. The condition, age, and its particularly ornate spec featuring several silver inlays effectively make this a one-of-one.
According to RIAC, “the 9-inch barrel is equipped with a German silver front sight and proudly exhibits the standard roll marking with the snake and star motif… The cylinder features the stagecoach hold-up scene and ‘COLT’… It is accompanied by its original factory varnished mahogany casing with the standard beveled lid and ‘F E P’ lightly inscribed on the German silver lid escutcheon. The case contains a full complement of accessories, including a matching extra cylinder bearing serial number ‘515,’ brass capper marked ‘No 123′ inside the lid and on the surface of the interior, a charger with wood core in the ball portion and ’99’ marked on each of the copper halves, wooden handled brass cleaning rod, blued combination tool, and wood-handled blued bullet mold.”
If you’re still not sold on this Texas Paterson’s importance, consider this: If bidding climbs to the $950,000 upper limit of its valuation, it will be one of the top 15 most expensive guns ever sold by RIAC. Tap here to learn more.