Colt Single Action Army Lew Horton Deluxe Grade III

Most Single Action Army revolvers wear their decoration in steel. This one wears it in gold. Built by the Colt Custom Shop in 2006 for Lew Horton Distributing, it carries the famous Sam Colt line laid in 24-karat gold across the barrel: God Created Man, Col. Colt Made Them Equal. That phrase, framed in a gold oval and flanked by flowing gold scroll, is the centerpiece of the whole package.

The finish reads as a study in contrast. Deep Royal Blue covers the barrel and cylinder, polished to a near-mirror that throws blue and violet highlights under light. Against it sits the color case-hardened frame, full of mottled browns, blues, and straw. Then the gold goes to work everywhere. Scroll runs down both sides of the cylinder, along the barrel, and across the ejector housing. The hammer and trigger are gold finished, and the frame screws are gold as well, a level of detail that tells you this came out of the Custom Shop and not the standard line.

The grips are factory black eagle hard rubber, checkered with the rampant colt at the top and the American eagle and shield below. They tie the historical look together and keep the focus on the metalwork.

This is a .45 Colt with the 4.75 inch barrel, the configuration most shooters and collectors reach for first. The single action mechanism functions as Colt intended, four clicks to full cock. The barrel address reads from Hartford, and the patent dates are stamped clean into the frame.

Only 25 of these Grade III revolvers left the Custom Shop for Lew Horton. This one comes in collector condition with its original blue clamshell case, outer sleeve, paperwork, manual, hangtag, and the end label with the Lew Horton barcode intact. For a collector who wants Colt artistry without stepping into the antique era, this sits in rare company.