Is this a Colt Storekeeper? 3rd Thread Added Info

Reference the following discussions regarding this configuration.

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=559523

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=559586

Hawk Carse mentioned that he "once saw a picture of an extractorless flattop target", so this morning I dug deeper into several 1st Generation Single Action Army reference books; A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver by Graham, Kopec, Moore and Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia by Keith Cochran. Both books contain errors; mainly, I believe, from not having a sufficient sample size to draw conclusions from and in some cases probably just a case of drawing a wrong conclusion. I tend to use "A Study" as a "go to" book since it is the more accurate of the two!

Colt Peacemaker Encyclopedia mentions a "Flattop Sheriff's Model", serial number 131409, 1890 production, chambered in 450 Eley with a 7 1/2 inch barrel and British Proofs. There are no pictures or very much other detail except to note it didn't have the ejector boss on the frame to accept an ejector rod housing.

In the Flattop Target section of "A Study" it mentions an ejectorless 38 Colt between the 163000 and 175000 serial number range. It states "the rarity of a Flattop Sheriff's Model is extreme". It, too, had a 7 1/2 inch barrel without an ejector assembly.

A Study also mentions "a high percentage of Flattop barrels were the standard 7 1/2 inch Single Action length, with a very few 5 1/2 inch versions being our only recorded exceptions". So, a 5 1/2 inch barrel is the shortest length encountered in a Target Frame Single Action. There were no pictures in either reference, so I assume none of the authors actually examined any of the guns with this odd configuration.

If the two Single Actions cited in the two reference books are authentic, one can only wonder why someone would order a Flattop Target Model without provisions for an ejector assembly; weight and/or balance? In both cases, the barrel length, 7 1/2 inches, makes sense for a Target Model and that seems to be the standard length. However, since both books do mention the existence of at least two Flattop Target Models without provisions for an ejector housing; this configuration might exist. Peacemaker Encyclopedia doesn't mention the one it cites as being backed by a factory record, but "A Study" seems to imply that the one they cite is in the records.

So, perhaps there is such an animal; a Flattop Ejectorless Model! If so, it sounds like only two might exist, both with 7 1/2 inch barrels, and between the 130,000 and 175,000 serial number range. John Parsons spent several months in 1949 doing a comprehensive search of the Colt Factory Records. While his research of the old Colt shipping ledgers was highly accurate, the abbreviations used by Colt employees in those ledgers left some things to interpretation or in some cases information was omitted. I don't believe his research actually identified an Ejectorless Flattop Target Model.

However, my previous comments regarding the authenticity of yours remain. I believe it is a Gunsmith Special given the out of range serial number and barrel not original to the period of the frame. The factory letter you've ordered will be the confirming authority.

Since I did find this information in well known and authoritative Colt Single Action Reference Books, I wanted to share if here on the forum as a continuation of the previous two threads.