"COLT SINGLE ACTION REVOLVER WITH BELT & HOLSTER RIG AND WITH ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT HISTORY. SN 302729. Cal. 38 WCF (38-40). This fine Colt & rig were the property of a man named Tom Turner who was for many years connected with the area of Nogales, Arizona where he was sheriff of Santa Cruz County, headquartered in Nogales and at various times a rancher, wagon foreman on the San Rafael Ranch, manager of the Empire Ranch and later general foreman of Greene Cattle Company. Mr. Turner, according to numerous newspaper articles & stories, was not a man to trifle with. He apparently was very tenacious in pursuing outlaws who stole livestock from his ranch and in one instance trailed four of them into the north end of the Chiricahuas Mountains and in a gun battle killed three of the four of them and recovered his livestock. In another instance, when he was manager of the Empire Ranch, he confronted six individuals who were giving him trouble and in the ensuing gun battle, killed five of them all "in the length of a boxcar". Another story relates to when in 1900 he was elected sheriff, which office he held through 1904, apparently every man in town was carrying a handgun in violation of the law. One night he & another deputy entered one of the largest dance halls and confronted about 150 people and confiscated a firearm from most of them. Tom Turner died in 1937 at age 82. Accompanied by a packet of information, mostly transcripts & copies of newspaper articles regarding Tom Turner. Some information & a note from someone named Jim Portias regarding this revolver & rig which was to appear in a book, The Peacemaker Checklist by Tom Ronk. Also accompanied by a Colt factory letter identifying this revolver as found, type of stocks not listed and indicating shipment Aug. 11, 1908 to Simmons Hardware Co., St. Louis, MO in a shipment of 30 same type guns. Revolver is blue & case colored, usual configuration with 4-3/4" bbl, 2-line address, slightly altered thick front sight with caliber on left side. It has 2-line patent dates with rampant Colt in a half circle on left side of frame. Left front web of trigger guard has the Colt "VP" in a triangle and a tiny "6" on rear web. Fitted with Colt medallion ivory grips with right side a raised carved ox head with gold button eyes & what appear to pink sapphire nostrils. Accompanied by a heavily tooled brown leather rig with an unusual drop to accommodate right hand holster. Belt is 47" long x 2-1/2" wide. It has a buckle strap to secure holster to skirt and a buckle hammer strap also, both with sterling silver buckle sets by Keystone Bros. of San Francisco. There are ten engraved silver rosettes with domes on holster and belt. Holster skirt, under holster, has hand written notation "TOM TURNER / DEC 1908 / EMPIRE RANCH / ARIZONA". Although it is not marked this rig is carved in the style of Ed Bohlin. It has a silver plated square brass buckle marked on inside "SOLID BRASS" and with a large anchor. Inside of buckle billet is embossed in gold "ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY" which is stamped over what appears to be "DOC'S / SPORTING GOODS / OAKLAND CA". Back of holster skirt is also embossed in gold "COLT S.A.A. 302-729 / 38/40 - 4-3/4 / ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY". One of hand written notes states that this was Tom Turner's "dress rig" and that holster & belt were by Ed Bohlin. CONDITION: Fine plus. Bbl retains 75-80% thinning orig blue, glossy & bright in sheltered areas. Ejector rod housing retains about 60% thin blue and cylinder about 75% thin blue. Grip frame retains about 70% orig blue, thin on trigger bow, front & back straps, strong & bright in sheltered areas. Frame retains 60-70% case colors, bright in sheltered areas, faded elsewhere, mixed with light patina. Hammer retains most of its orig case colors, strong on sides & back, faded on top edge. Grips have a few minor age lines with a tiny repair to right heel and retain a beautiful mellow ivory patina. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore. Belt & holster retain most of their fine orig finish with some darkening on holster. Holster drop has two extra holes, probably for rosettes which have been removed. 4-59855 JR213 (10,000-15,000)"
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