Guns International #: 101309081

Category - Colt Revolvers - Antique Percussion - Colt Revolvers - Antique

Category
Colt Revolvers - Antique Percussion
Colt Revolvers - Antique

Old and Near Exact Copy of Colt 1847 Walker Revolver, Probably by Tommy Haas Sr.

Description:
Sale Pending!  This is one of the best copies of a Colt Walker I've ever seen.  We got this from a dealer who purchased it about 10-12 years ago for his collection from another well-respected Antique Colt Dealer...as a fake of course.  This dealer told him that it was made by Tommy Haas Sr.  If that's the case, then someone is getting a great bargain because Haas Walkers bring $10K and up.   I cannot confirm that information as accurate and finding details on the Walkers Mr. Haas made back in the 1960's is not widely known because he apparently only made a few of them.  Years ago, I saw a Walker that Mr. Haas had made and it was a beautiful gun...not just in how it was made, but he finished it just like an original too with a blued barrel and the cylinder in the white.  It had been used over the span of several decades and had the look of a half million dollar original upon first glance.  This one was aged some years ago to look rougher and I have had some collectors say it is a Haas while others aren't so sure.  The one thing however everyone agrees on is that it's a good copy and that includes some advanced collectors. I've put this on my table at the Allentown and Kansas City shows and had numerous people ask if they could touch or hold it, thinking it was original Colt Walker.  They always look  like they're in disbelief and a bit deflated when I break the news that it's not an original one, but that is good testimony to how convincing it is to most people.  I realize some collectors scoff at fakes but it is a form of art when NOT being passed off as an original to some unsuspecting person.  How many times have we all listened to the Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" played by Van Halen and not thought, "That was a good rendition". This is simply that, a good rendition and better yet, an affordable one     For most of us who don't have $100K+ to spend, owning an original is out of the question.  As a result nearly all of us who collect Colts don't have one.  For the collectors who are trying to build a complete collection with one of every Model, this is what a collector buys to fill that empty space on the wall next to his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Model Colt Dragoons. It fills the void, it looks great, and your wife won't have to file for divorce.  Just don't try to sell it to some unsuspecting billionaire so you can retire to Costa Rica, ok?  That is all I ask! 

 Whoever made this studied Colt Walkers, especially the markings and contours.  They spent a lot of time coming up with the tooling, dies, and many hours of sweat equity to build this revolver.  If you look online at Colt Walker # 1017 which is the finest known example in the world and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you will see this copy has a lot of the same contours.  The hammer has the same pinched spur like a late production Walker, the bottom of the loading lever has a bit of a donut shape to it like the original.  The tool and die work is superb....check out the tiny Company E No. 67 on the trigger guard and the cylinder with the larger font on the backstrap, frame, and barrel.  New York Barrel Address is almost perfect like the one in the MET. They also got the little compression line on the edge of the cylinder scene correct.  The trigger has the short, more curved contour like an original and the cylinder has the correct small oval stops. The grips are American Black Walnut with the grain running in the proper angle.  They even got the bulbous contour along the bottom of the grips and the WAT Inspector's Cartouche.  The cylinder scene looks correct and although it has some light pitting, it's there including the COLT'S PATENT in the stipled banner. These are all fine little details that you won't find on an Italian Reproduction or even a 2nd or 3rd Generation Colt.  On the outside, it looks correct.  Now, when you take of the barrel, it does not have the internal numbers like an original Walker should, and that's a good thing because it means it was never made in my opinion to be passed off as an original.  That is what makes me lean towards this being a Haas Walker because someone invested a ton of hours who knew A LOT about gun-making but stopped at a certain point and didn't cross that line into a pure fake.  From what I've heard, Haas was very proud of his work and wanted credit for his abilities.  There is one famous story of him displaying a fine Colt which fooled a bunch of unsuspecting experts at the Las Vegas show many decades ago.  After getting several letters of authentication, he proceeded top display them along with a picture book of how he made the gun step by step.  That said, Haas Walkers were originally not meant to be passed off as exact copies, just very close copies and that is what this one is. I just can't say with 100% certainty it's by Haas.  However, the aging that was done to this one makes this one a little more dangerous because most people really think this is a real Walker.  The action is in nice working order and the bore 7 lands and grooves like the original.  Nice example of a well-made and highly detailed copy of the Colt Walker. 

SOLD

Antique: Yes
Manufacturer: Unknown, Possibly Thomas Haas, SR
Model: 1847 Walker
Caliber Info: 44