Government "Buy Back" Colt Single Action Army Revolver

Why does this Colt Single Action Army revolver have both government and civilian markings?

The answer is simple: it was sold to both markets.

The explanation is a little more nuanced: This revolver is one of a small number of guns that were sold by Colt to the government with the intention of distributing and issuing them to soldiers. However, the government never issued them and didn't want to sit on them, so the government sold them to a private distributor. Ever the entrepreneurs, the distributor sold them back to Colt. Then, Colt reworked the guns by adding civilian markings (and not scrubbing the government ones) and then sold them back onto the civilian market.

If that all sounds a little confusing, that's because it is. Learn about it here:

This gun will be available in the October 2022 sale from Milestone Auctions. Visit www.milestoneauctions.com for more info. UPDATE: Item sold for $8,700 including the 20% buyer's premium.

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