Cased Pair of Engraved Colt 3rd Generation Storekeeper Single Action Army Revolvers

Two Storekeeper Single Action Armys, cased together as a matched set, each cut and signed by John J. Adams Jr. of Adams & Adams Engraving. That alone separates this from the usual run of dressed-up SAAs. The documentation tells the rest of the story. Adams letters and the original Adams & Adams work invoices ship with the pair, naming the engraver, the Nimschke and Helfricht scroll styles, the Turnbull bluing and case coloring, and the carved ivory grips by Dennis Holland and Chesiak & Holland. You rarely see provenance this thorough on engraved revolvers.

The two guns wear different chamberings, and that's part of the appeal. One is the Storekeeper proper, barrel marked COLT STOREKEEPER'S MODEL and carved with a Western motif on its ivory grip. The other carries the COLT S.A.A. 44-40 barrel address with a rearing unicorn carved in raised relief on its grip panel. Both run 4 inch barrels in the Storekeeper layout, with the ejector rod housing retained rather than removed.

Look closely at the finishes. The Turnbull case colors run deep blue and straw across the frames and hammers, set against a rich, almost black charcoal blue on the barrels and cylinders. The scroll is deep and tight, flowing along every contour with shaded backgrounds that give the cuts dimension. Cylinders, backstraps, and barrels all carry matching coverage. The bores are bright.

The pair sits in a fitted walnut case lined in red, complete with a brass key and a period-style label reproducing the old Colt New Model Army cartridge advertisement. This was assembled as an exhibition set, and it shows in every detail. For a collector chasing modern master engraving with full documentation, two signed guns under one lid is a hard combination to beat.