[melodians]

I've owned this 1893 4 3/4" SAA for a few years and have always wondered about some file marks on the gun. They seem intentional, but they don't make any sense. If anyone has any ideas or speculations, I'd like to hear them. There are three short marks and one long mark under the trigger guard, one short one on the heel, and two very short ones on the back strap. Thank you for any thoughts.

 

[dogface6]

Too many Dime Novels, too much time - and all speculation.

What folks did to their firearms will always be a mystery to collectors who have no provenance to any stories.

 

[Rick]

No clue.

 

[victorio1sw]

Just a guess, but maybe the notches were the result of watching too many "B" Westerns. I've seen several guns notched like yours in one place, but never in several locations.

 

[Walkers SAA]

Maybe they helped him adjust for elevation and windage for those 1000 yards pistol shots on horseback!

 

[dandak]

Amazing. The grips had to be taken off to file the 2 marks on the backstrap. Your gun looks nice, perhaps not much cylinder gap from the first photo. What caliber? I had a friend who did laser welding awhile back, If I owned that i would probably have given it to him and had him weld in those file marks. Heresy to some I know, but its just what I would do. Like dogface said, no one will ever know if those marks had meaning or were just some doodling from a bored owner who found himself with a file in is hand, his SAA on his belt, and a few hours to kill. Did you look inside the grips to see if anything is scratched inside like the owners name or something?

 

[Jim Martin]

what's more odd is the filed line in front of the trigger from side to side,nobodys mentioned that.

 

[BRK100]

Like some people who engrave their SS number into an item, I'd guess the owner was simply branding his Colt so that if it was stolen, he (or the Sheriff) could easily identify it. Quien sabe?

 

[coltsixguns]

I had a friend who years ago had a saa that came off of the king ranch in south texas and it was filed in several places like this even along the back edge of the cylinder. He said he had it at a gun show on his table and a guy stopped and looked at it and said he was a professor of some kind of cultural studies and that the gun had belonged to a mexican because they would do that in order to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. This gun makes the 3rd one I've seen with this type of file treatment.

 

[saintclair]

Jim, That weird explanation is the only one that makes sense in a crazy way!

 

[GRI]

The line in front of the trigger across the width of the guard does not look like it was made by a file, but a saw. Just my opinion, but think someone was intending to alter the gun and the marks are just that, marks.

 

[Collects]

Those marks obviously are notches, one carved into the revolver for each person the owner of the revolver killed with the revolver. What else could it possibly be?

...or the number of raccoons killed with the revolver.

...or the number of children the revolver owner had.

...or the number of times the revolver owner got drunk.

...or the number of times the revolver owner got arrested.

... or almost anything else.

 

[melodians]

Amazing. The grips had to be taken off to file the 2 marks on the backstrap. Your gun looks nice, perhaps not much cylinder gap from the first photo. What caliber? I had a friend who did laser welding awhile back, If I owned that i would probably have given it to him and had him weld in those file marks. Heresy to some I know, but its just what I would do. Like dogface said, no one will ever know if those marks had meaning or were just some doodling from a bored owner who found himself with a file in is hand, his SAA on his belt, and a few hours to kill. Did you look inside the grips to see if anything is scratched inside like the owners name or something?

Thank you and everyone for the comments. It's a 45. Letters to Simmons Hardware. I did check on the back side of the grips and there isn't anything written or scratched on them. You're right that the grips had to be off in order to make the two marks on the back strap.

 

[Bibbyman]

Almost looks like hack marks from a heavy knife - except for the line across ahead of the trigger.

I always assumed the notches were confined to the grip pannel. I now have 5 notches on the grips of this Cimarron Model P old model in 38WCF that I've usee Cowboy Action Shooting. One for each clean match.

 

[Walkers SAA]

Those marks obviously are notches, one carved into the revolver for each person the owner of the revolver killed with the revolver. What else could it possibly be?

...or the number of raccoons killed with the revolver.

...or the number of children the revolver owner had.

...or the number of times the revolver owner got drunk.

...or the number of times the revolver owner got arrested.

... or almost anything else.

No, you are wrong. The notches are most likely an indicator of number of bullets left. When gun is fully loaded it sits down in the holster. Every 2 rounds fired makes it ride higher in the holster exposin a line. When 3 lines are visible the gun is empty!

 

[Mattmatt61720]

I think this guy ☝ Nailed it.....

 

[singleshotchuckhunter]

I've owned this 1893 4 3/4" SAA for a few years and have always wondered about some file marks on the gun. They seem intentional, but they don't make any sense. If anyone has any ideas or speculations, I'd like to hear them. There are three short marks and one long mark under the trigger guard, one short one on the heel, and two very short ones on the back strap. Thank you for any thoughts.

Nice Colt. Whatever the reason for the marks, it does add to the character, and mystique of the gun and also thoughts of who might have owned it at that time.

Your serial number is the closest to my Colt (150234) that I have ever found. The serial number font on mine is close to yours but not identical. Mine is a 4 3/4" .45 Colt and Letters to H&D Folsom in New Orleans in 1893.

Thanks for sharing the photos. It adds a little to the puzzle of my gun.

Would you care to post a few other photos of yours especially the other barrel and frame stampings? Thanks.

 

[FLF]

No, you are wrong. The notches are most likely an indicator of number of bullets left. When gun is fully loaded it sits down in the holster. Every 2 rounds fired makes it ride higher in the holster exposin a line. When 3 lines are visible the gun is empty!

If you are looking down at your holster to count the lines you have already lost the gunfight.

 

[Colonel K]

If you are looking down at your holster to count the lines you have already lost the gunfight.

Not if you're invisible.

 

[Walkers SAA]

If you are looking down at your holster to count the lines you have already lost the gunfight.

You do realize that was just supposed to be funny, right?