Colt London Agency SAA .450 Boxer From 1875

[lestert357]

Before I turned my attention to S&W Pre-War and early postwar .357 Magnums in 2014 I had spent the previous 25 years dabbling in 1st generation Colt Single Actions. It undoubtedly had something to do with growing up watching 1950's era TV westerns. I had some really nice SAA's during those 25 years, many of which I wish I still had. However one I managed to hang onto is a very early gun, and the nicest black powder SAA I ever owned. S&W .357 Magnums notwithstanding, this London Agency Colt SAA .450 Boxer from 1875 remains the centerpiece of my collection…..

I did not realize it at the time I bought the gun at the 2014 Baltimore Antique Gun Show, but later discovered that it is pictured on page 54 of Don Wilkerson's book "The Official Record of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver 1873 - 1895"…..

I also subsequently discovered the auction listing and excellent pictures of the gun in the Spring 2014 Morphy's Auction…..

Photo Credits - Morphy Auctions

My on-going project with this gun is to replace the smokeless powder Kynoch .450 Revolver cartridges with original 1870's vintage black powder .450 Boxer 2-piece case cartridges, and also to add an original blued cleaning rod to the package. That will continue to keep this old guy occupied for a while longer. No, I don't shoot it and I don't twirl it. [emoji38]……fortunately I still have a couple other guns for that.

If you care to, please share your collection centerpiece regardless of what it is.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

What the heck is 45 Boxer?

Ivan

 

[Dvus]

What the heck is 45 Boxer?

Ivan

19t⁹h century version of .45 GAP

lestert357, that is an outstanding centerpiece! Mine isn't nearly as vintage, pedigreed or preserved, but I like it and will share. This one left the stable in 1911(a great year for Colt lovers.) Please pardon the poor quality phone pic., it's the only one I have available at the moment.

 

[brendonjames65]

Your post piqued my interest to research the 450 Boxer cartridge. It was the first metallic cartridge to be adopted in 1868 by the British Military. The standard load for this was a 225gr. RNL bullet over 13gr. of FFFFg powder. This gave a velocity in the neighborhood of 700 fps.

Perhaps some Colt SAA chambered in 450 Boxer found their way to Africa and were used during the Zulu War? Interesting and beautiful revolver. Thanks for sharing.

 

[LEO918]

About 10 years ago I started dabbling in Colt Single Action Army revolvers again after a 20 hiatus.
My area of interest currently is in Colt SAAs from about 1900 to 1912.
This .38 W.C.F. (.38-40) from 1909 is the nicest I have accumulated this time around.

 

[lestert357]

What the heck is 45 Boxer?

Ivan

The .450 Adams was a British black powder centerfire revolver cartridge, initially used in converted Beaumont—Adams revolvers, in the late 1860s. Officially designated .450 Boxer Mk I, it was the British Army's first centerfire revolver round. I have also seen it referred to as the .450 Eley and .450 Revolver. The Colt factory seemed to use the terms .45 Boxer and .45 Eley interchangeably in factory shipping records and invoices.

The original .450 Boxer Mk1 cartridge had a two-piece case with the base being an iron (later brass) disk and the body made of brass. The body was secured to the iron disk base by the rivet of the boxer primer. I believe you can get an idea of this construction from the below picture. Also pictured with a .44-40 cartridge for size comparison…..

There was no head stamp on the original .450 Boxer Mk1 cartridge.

I have 4 of the original Boxer cartridges (like the one pictured above) in the case cartridge block with my Colt, but I would like to completely fill the case cartridge block with examples of the original Boxer cartridge and replace the Kynoch .450 Revolver cartridges which are a later version.

 

[Muley Gil]

Why would a 1873 come with a nipple wrench? Can the other end be used as a screwdriver?

 

[lestert357]

Why would a 1873 come with a nipple wrench? Can the other end be used as a screwdriver?

That terminology in the Morphy Auction write-up is incorrect; it is actually referring to the L-shaped screwdriver which has two different sized tips…..

 

[turnerriver]

I'm impressed that dabbling in Colts results in such beautiful revolvers.
Here's my collection centerpiece- a Myres holster and belt set dated 1935. Owner's initials on both the holster & belt, butterfly motif as favored by S.D. Myres who I believe did the carving on this set. As pictured in Holstory.

Regards,

 

[lestert357]

Here's my collection centerpiece- a Myres holster and belt set dated 1935. Owner's initials on both the holster & belt, butterfly motif as favored by S.D. Myres who I believe did the carving on this set. As pictured in Holstory.

Absolutely stunning holster and belt rig John. Since it's dated 1935 I have to ask…..is the holster cut for a Registered Magnum? Or a Colt Single Action? Or a Smith or Colt DA with fixed sights?

 

[JohnRippert]

The centerpiece of my collection is also a .45


Decommissioned 2nd Marine Raiders M45A1 that was issued to someone in the 2nd Marine Raiders Support Battalion.

 

[turnerriver]

Absolutely stunning holster and belt rig John. Since it's dated 1935 I have to ask…..is the holster cut for a Registered Magnum? Or a Colt Single Action? Or a Smith or Colt DA with fixed sights?

The loops are .38 and the holster fits a medium frame 5" or 6" fixed sight revolver, likely a Military and Police as I think a .41 frame Colt would be too big. I don't think it's ever had a revolver in it and the loops haven't held any cartridges either. I have a surprising number of old plain or fancy holsters that show no signs of ever being used.
Thanks & regards,

 

[lestert357]

For anyone that is interested in or wants to know more about the .450 Boxer cartridge, I recommend the book pictured below. The author, Chris Punnett, describes the book as follows:

132 pages, full color on quality gloss
paper with laminated cover, 8½ x 11
inches, wire bound - opens flat for convenience.
Covering the military & commercial
development of the cartridge and the
history of almost 90 companies in 21
countries from the 1860's to current
manufacture. Many obscure companies
not covered in available literature.
Previously unpublished drawings, including
early Royal Laboratory designs,
and other material.
An excellent reference even if you
don't collect .450 cartridges as it covers
a significant period of ammunition
development.
Fully illustrated checklist of 600+
known specimens with their headstamps
(life-size cartridge photographs).
Appendices containing factory drawings,
additional boxes, headstamps
codes, and a detailed index.
ISBN 978-0-9919272-0-3

 

[Golddollar]

What the heck is 45 Boxer?

Ivan

George Foreman in his last fight?

 

[iby]

centerpiece

Since this is the S&W Forum I think this is the centerpiece (at least today) of my S&W accumulation

 

[bigmoose]

My S&W centerpiece

OP,
Your Colt SAA is absolutely stunning. Congrats on such a one of a kind example in unbelievable condition.

My Smith centerpiece is a Model 16 K32 Masterpiece from the early 1970s, most likely unfired except for the factory and German proofing. It was shipped with most of the typical options and a red post front sight.

 

[bigmoose]

Colt centerpiece

The centerpiece of my Colt collection is a Colt factory lettered .38 Special from 1937.

 

[lestert357]

The centerpiece of my Colt collection is a Colt factory lettered .38 Special from 1937.

That's a beautiful and fairly rare Colt Single Action! Very unusual and fortuitous to be able to get a letter for a 1937 SAA as I'm sure you know most of those records are missing.

 

[lestert357]

And both of these S&W centerpieces are way too nice for thumbnails…..

 

[CptCurl]

Terry,

That is one fantastic SAA you have treated us with. Thanks!

The best SAA I own is a pre-war/post-war .45 Colt.

It has its own page in the book.

I put it on display a couple years ago at this link: Colt SAA Pre-War/Post-War .45

Wanna swap?

Curly