Colt Factory Letter/This is an ULTRA RARE Colt Single Action, with Factory Letter. Originally Shipped in January 1887 to U.S. Government, as a Cavalry Colt. The United States Post Master General requested Colt Single Actions to Protect the Railway Mail from Train Robbers. The Springfield Armory established a LOAN of 229 Revolvers. Sent in TWO shipments, One of 20 the second 209. Issued to Postal Clerks working the Railway Mail Service. What you must understand here is the postal system. ALL mail moved by train, and was sorted, and delivered by train. As the train pulled into a station, a Bag was grabbed by a special hook, in reverse a bag was left. The newly picked up mail was sorted into Pidgeon holed cabinets, to be ready for the next stop and drop. Originally the first two routes to receive Colts were the San Francisco to NY routes. Why? GOLD and Government documents. The next, was the Omaha Neb. to Ogden UT routes. Eventually to all routes which had been plagued by Train Robbers. RESPONSIBILITY was taken very seriously. If you lost one, you had to pay the government back at $12.50. One clerk in Mandan ND, was robbed in his hotel room while sleeping, the Colt #120054 was taken, he had to repay the Government. IN 1890, the Government and USPS cancelled the loan on revolvers. BUT ONLY 226 were returned. Three were lost or unaccounted for. ONE, was allowed to remain with the RMS #119509, THIS REVOLVER being sold here. The return also included issued ammunition and holsters ALL OF THIS INFORMATION can be found in the Text. A Study of the Colt Single Action Army, by Graham, Kopec and Moore. On pages 495 – 498 ALL Serial Numbers for the original 229 are listed. However, ONLY ONE REMAINED AS ORIGINAL. After the return call sent with others to Springfield. Where they were used, and re-assembled as Artillery revolvers. ONLY ONE Original remains, this one offered for sale. If you have seen the Movie “The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Bob Ford”, starring Brad Pitt,& Casey Affleck. It graphically shows James Gang boarding the train, and immediately robbing the Mail/express car, Asking where is the Registered Pouch, then going through all the sorted mail seeking some thing of value to Rob. This happened far too many times, more so in the late 1800’s with the Wild Bunch etc… That is why the Post Master asked the Government for REVOLVERS , to defend the US Mail !!!













































































