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Order time frame for 1890's Colt revolvers
Fatstrat
Member Posts: 9,147
Recently a Pearl Handled, Factory engraved Colt SA revolver that belonged to and was removed from the body of outlaw Bob Dalton was auctioned. This revolver was one of 10 identical, consecutively numbered special order Colts that left the Colt factory on Aug. 18 1892. And were shipped to buyer in St. Louis Mo. All 10 Colts were removed from the dead or wounded bodies of the Dalton Gang on Oct. 5th of that same year.
On July 15 1892, the Dalton gang robbed a train at Adair Okla.
So the question: How long would it take the Colt factory to MFG/ship a special order of this type from date order received? Assuming Bob paid for the special order revolvers with the proceeds from the Adair robbery. Bob would have about 1 month to travel to St. Louis, Which one would assume to take about a week by horseback. Order the guns. Hang around to receive guns in late Aug. Giving the factory about 3 weeks from date order received until order shipped.
Could a special order of 10 indentical fancy engraved Colts be MFG and delivered in that time frame?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RDih0Eneuc
On July 15 1892, the Dalton gang robbed a train at Adair Okla.
So the question: How long would it take the Colt factory to MFG/ship a special order of this type from date order received? Assuming Bob paid for the special order revolvers with the proceeds from the Adair robbery. Bob would have about 1 month to travel to St. Louis, Which one would assume to take about a week by horseback. Order the guns. Hang around to receive guns in late Aug. Giving the factory about 3 weeks from date order received until order shipped.
Could a special order of 10 indentical fancy engraved Colts be MFG and delivered in that time frame?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RDih0Eneuc
Comments
I'm wondering why/how they literally took it off his hip, one would think it was in his hands at the time or laying on the floor next to him.
Anyone find the final price?
added Interesting, no shotguns only rifles and unfired pistols.
shipped to buyer in St. Louis Mo.
According to the video you linked to, the buyer was Bob Dalton using the alias of A.E. Williams.
quote:Could a special order of 10 indentical fancy engraved Colts be MFG and delivered in that time frame?
It's very possible the revolvers were already made and in stock. Remember, this time frame is back when Colt knew what they were doing, and not now where it takes them two years to fill a special order.
Johnny
Hard to say which robbery money paid for the guns. Maybe he wired a down payment and the order earlier.
I'm wondering why/how they literally took it off his hip, one would think it was in his hands at the time or laying on the floor next to him.
Anyone find the final price?
According to accepted history reports, all the shots fired by the Dalton Gang during the brief gun battle in Coffeyvile were fired by rifles.
quote:Originally posted by Fatstrat
shipped to buyer in St. Louis Mo.
According to the video you linked to, the buyer was Bob Dalton using the alias of A.E. Williams.
quote:Could a special order of 10 indentical fancy engraved Colts be MFG and delivered in that time frame?
It's very possible the revolvers were already made and in stock. Remember, this time frame is back when Colt knew what they were doing, and not now where it takes them two years to fill a special order.
Johnny
" It's very possible the revolvers were already made and in stock."
That is a possibility. I wonder if anyone has an 1890's Colt catalog that lists them?
Shipping by rail to all parts of the US would take anywhere from a week to 10 days, except for areas not serviced by railroads. And don't forget that almost every town that had more than 2 horses had a railroad station......plus there were the flag stops.
So, from the time that the Colt Factory in Hartford received an engraved gun order to its delivery would be no more than two weeks. The only exception to this would be elaborately adorned presentation guns with gold and silver plating and engraving done by one of the master engravers like Nimschke, and/or with Tiffany grips.
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
Has all 10 of the special order pistols that the gang received been accounted for to date ?
I don't know. The video states that there are "some" known to exist in private collections. The long ongoing rumor in Coffeyville is that some unspecified Dalton Gang guns remain in town in the possession of heirs of longtime resident families. Reportedly several in one family. I have had several people tell me that they have seen these guns. But would not divulge who owned them.
It is known that there was immediate looting of the gang bodies. But apparently some effort to collect the looted effects as evidenced by the reported recovery of Emmet's rifle from a resident of nearby Independence Ks. (Emmet reportedly later gave this rifle to the Coffeyville Deputy that prevented his lynching). And as reported in the video a sale of some collected Dalton gang items in 1893. But I don't know other than Bob's and one other Colt, what else was included in the sale. It would interesting to try to find out.
Quite a few of the items have been donated or loaned to the Dalton Defenders Museum for display. Nearly all of which were owned by Bob, Emmet or Grat Dalton. Including one of Bob's Colt's featured in the video. One other 32-20 Colt. And a pocket pistol. Bob's hat and other personal items. Emmet's gunbelt and Grat's rifle. There is also another Winchester rifle reported to having been owned by Bob. But not specified as the one used in the raid. Owning to the number of just the effects of Bob Dalton exhibited. There surely were much more effects from his brothers and the 2 other gang members unaccounted for. Namely to my mind the long guns (presumably rifles) and other possible weapons/effects of gang members Broadwell and Powers. Dick Broadwell's family recovered his body and possibly his effects. But Bill Power's origin's were and are a mystery. So presumably his effects might still be in area.