Page 23 - GUNS Issue n.01

THe sTrANGe HIsTorY oF BUNTlINe revolvers
1873 revolvers with a barrel longer than the classic 7.5 inches, therefore equal to 12, 10 or 16 inches, are generically known
to enthusiasts as buntline, from the name of journalist and novelist ned buntline (pseudonym of edward Zane carroll
Judson). This man had a particular talent for writing using epic tones and, following the spirit of the time, he evidently had
a certain talent for “peddling” a colorful narrative for what concerned his own exploits. Thus, the rumor began to circulate
that he himself had commissioned colt to make “the buntline Special”, a 12-inch version of the model 1873 revolver with
the addition of a detachable nickel-plated brass skeletonized stock. buntline also touted the story according to which he
himself had bought five exemplars of this special revolver, to be given to lawmen who, with their deeds, had contributed
to create the legend of the Frontier: Wyatt earp, bat Masterson, bill Tilghman, charlie bassett and neal brown. in fact,
to date there are no documents at colt showing any trace of this special order, nor is there any evidence of the existence
of these five revolvers. indeed, when buntline carried out his “tribute”, some of these “lawmen” were not yet sheriffs.
also, the firearms collection owned by Wyatt earp has been handed down almost intact and it does not include any long-
barreled colt revolver that matches buntline’s special model. beyond the self-styled contribution of buntline-Judson in the
creation of these firearms, the existence of revolvers with a longer than normal barrel, even up to 16 inches, is historically
established, thanks to the pictures of the special firearms pavilion set up by colt for the centennial exposition (which took
place in 1876 in Philadelphia). in any case, at that time the Hartford-based company made custom revolvers with any barrel
length the buyer wanted, with an extra charge of one dollar for each inch of barrel over 7.5”. be that as it may, original
vintage examples of colt revolvers with barrel lengths exceeding 7.5 inches are very rare and sought-after by collectors.

to execution speed, repeatability and versatility, has always had some intrinsic characteristics, among which
a not excellent perspective depth and the impossibility of recreating that chiaroscuro and bas-relief effect
typical of burin and chisel engravings. So much so that on some modern high quality hunting shotguns the
engravings are made with a laser but then they are hand-finished. Thanks to latest generation machinery
and a laborious experimental phase, Pietta has managed to confine these considerations to the past: in other
words, it’s finally possible to create engravings that look almost identical to the most renowned creations of
the past, such as those made for Colt by Cuno Helfricht, while also keeping the final cost of the gun in line
with that of a traditional replica.
It is very difficult to describe the monumental amount of work that was necessary to achieve this result. Pietta
investigated the “theme” of the engravings, through the analysis and examination of both authentic Old West
guns and pictures of original presentation models. This has made it possible to reproduce with maximum
fidelity stylistic elements such as scrolls, arabesques, florals and the subjects of the engravings.
In Pietta’s catalog, this engraving technique is quite recent, but it has already produced a number of specific
“themes”, applied to replicas of the 1873 series (from the compact Sheriff’s with a 3.5” barrel to the monumental
Buntline with a 12” or even 16” barrel) and also to other Old West revolver lines. The themes can be centered on
specific characters of the Frontier, such as Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday and Jesse James, but also on historical
figures of a later era, such as US President Theodore Roosevelt, General Patton and so on. A “theme” was also

1_The ejector rod, housed under the barrel, is a classic of the Colt Peacemaker, 2_The sights are fixed, but they are carefully
only the Sheriff’s version with a 3.5-inch barrel does not have it. zeroed at the factory.

1 2

Pietta 1873 engraved caliber .45 colt_TesT revolver 21