4639

Gunfighter's Colt Single Action Army .44 cal. (75627)

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military / Hand Guns - Pistols Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,500.00 USD
Gunfighter's Colt Single Action Army .44 cal.  (75627)
SOLD
1,800.00USD+ (450.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2019 May 19 @ 15:36UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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This gun is a gunfighter's Colt belonging to William "Billy" Brooks, Marshall of Newton, KS. and later Doge City, KS. between 1872 and 1873. This gun is marked S/N 1 with a Mexican frame, back-strap, and trigger-guard and a three line patent date stamping on the left side of the frame. The barrel is marked "Colt P. Firearms Co. Hartford, Conn." Our photo shows Billy Brooks wearing a Colt revolver with a long barrel holster. Our gun has a 4 5/8 in. barrel with the ejector housing removed because the barrel ; now shortened, would no longer fit the ejector rod and button. This was a popular feature of the Sheriff's model SAA Colt. Apparently Billy Brooks followed that design and had his gun shortened, ejector rod and button removed for a quick holster draw. This is evidenced by the front blade sight re-attached to the barrel over the Colt name on the barrel. Our gun also has white wood grips as in the photo. These grips have been painted white, covered in a varnish and had been shaped to fit a right hand for the pinky finger placement. This was a gunfighter's gun where he wanted that gun to be seen on his hip for all to see.
William "Billy" Brooks led a colorful life. He was known to have been a Buffalo hunter but no evidence has surfaced to support this. He took a job as Marshall in Newton, KS. and later Dodge City, KS. While in Dodge City, he was involved in 15 gunfights in the line of duty in the first month. He also killed four men that wanted revenge for him killing their brother. Four men; four bullets; four corpses. After backing down from a quicker gun fighter than himself, he quit his Marshall position in Dodge City to become a teamster driver. After plotting to destroy a competing freight company by stealing their mules he was arrested and consequently hanged by a vigilante committee in July of 1874.
Legend has it that Billy Brooks applied for the Marshall position in Butte, Montana in 1873 or early 1874. The local police officer, Morgan Earp, was running for the same position. Brooks' reputation damaged his chance for Marshall and called Morgan Earp out on this issue. They took it to the street where Earp took a round to the arm while Brooks took a round to the stomach. Both survived but remembered each other well. Research dictates that this story is only a legend because Morgan Earp didn't buy property in Butte, Montana until 1879.

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