Bat Masterson Colt .45 SN# 112737

I don't know where that gun is now and when they show a picture of it, it seems to be the same old b&W picture. In an early 60's book Fired In Anger there's a long article on how a gun collector bought a standard old nickel Colt .45 in 1962 then later sold it. But he kept the hard rubber grips. Later he took a closer look at them and saw the abbreviation "Bat Maston" scratched inside one grip. "Dodg CY" and various other initials linked to other famous guys were on the other. The grips were sold to the guy who didn't know he owned Bat Masterson's special ordered Colt. One of them, anyway. It was verified by Colt and I think the Kansas historical Society had the letter Masterson wrote requesting the two guns with modifications on a Dodge City Opera House letterhead. Somewhere out there is that other matching Colt. A couple years ago another Masterson Colt was on auction and it was identical but with a 5 1/2" barrel.

Does anyone know which one is known to exist? One serial number has been released by Colt, the 112737 was confirmed to have been shipped to Masterson. If one of these is out there. Which one is it? I just found this on a site I had to translate from Italian.
The second of these three Colt SAA is of particular importance because it bought expressly for himself, he was ordained by a letter which is still present in the archive of the Connecticut State Library, the letter is dated July 24, 1885 and is written on company letterhead Opera House Saloon.
Dall'appunto written from the clerk of the Colt seems that your order has arrived in the company on July 28.
Masterson The letter pointed out that the weapon had to have a high quality finish, and here the "our" used the phrase that is written in many books that talk about Colt 1873 SAA: "I am willing to pay extra for the extra work" , "I'm willing to pay more for extra work" (such as historical phrase will not be much, but infact 'is .....) In the letter recommends that the weapon has a "trigger very light and sensitive, a viewfinder is not very high but thicker section than those normally built, gutta percha grips and barrel as long as the rod extraction ( then a 4-3/4 inch) " There is also a postscript unreadable but that seems to indicate a desire to order two instead of one revolver , the hypothesis is supported by the fact that on July 30 from Hartford were sent to Dodge City two Colt, and both with the requirements to Masterson in the order letter. These two weapons had their serial numbers 112737 and 112998 On November 17, 1887 in the registers Colt is another order from Masterson , always a Colt SAA the same requisites of the above. Finally On 5 July 1888 "Bat" order a revolver last forever in the usual configuration to him, 5-1/2 barrel, oversized viewfinder, shutter lightened, cheeks in gutta-percha, nickel plated. 's not not know where he was sent, in that period Masterson had his residence in Denver, Colorado. letter ordering the revolver purchased on July 5, 1888
How many documented "Bat Masterson" guns are still out there? Anyone know?

The two weapons SN# 112737 and 112998 are the ones shipped to Masterson July,1885 after Colt received the "Opera House letter" requesting two identical nickel 4 3/4" .45's with gutta percha grips, modified sights, and easy on the trigger. The 112737 gun has been more talked about than the other, and actually duplicated down to the original SN# 112737 by Pietta in a non-firing replica model. As far as the other, 112998, Ive only recently been able to find out it actually existed. I'm trying to find out if either of these is on display anywhere, and trying to find out which one has been found and which one hasn't turned up yet? I've seen the Commemoratives made in 1967, and I've seen the replicas modeled after these guns. Seems all I can find is one old black and white picture of the original, and only one. What ever became of these weapons people?

I agree with you that there are probably more than a handful of "Bat Masterson" SAA's , as I've read the same stories of him, in his later years, buying guns from pawn shops ect. and selling them as "authentic". The gun in question can be linked directly to Masterson by a letter he wrote to Colt, 1885, and a gun shipped July 30, 1885 to Masterson in Dodge City, KS. This information came from the Sprinfield Armory Museum. "...The firm (Colt) verified the fact that this revolver, serial no. 112737, was shipped to W.B. Masterson on July 30, 1885, one week after the order was placed. Bat had requested shipment 'as soon as possible,' and the company had immediately sent the guns, each with a 4 3/4" barrel and hard rubber grips." - Elman. I believe this is referencing a book "​The Great Guns" [Harold L. Peterson, Robert Elman, Adolph Suehsdorf]
Not sure where Elman got the pic from