Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Colt Model 1878 Frontier Six Shooter that got the full New York treatment – nickel and gold plating with high-end engraving that screams Big Apple sophistication. The Model 1878 was Colt’s first successful large-frame double action revolver, designed to handle the powerful .45 Colt cartridge that made the Single Action Army famous. This 1893 example shipped to Schoverling, Daly & Gales in New York City – one of the premier sporting goods dealers of the era who catered to wealthy customers wanting custom work.
The engraving style tells the story. This is classic New York shop work from the 1890s – scrollwork with beaded backgrounds, wavy line accents, and that telltale “Nimschke star” on the frame near the ejector. While not necessarily done by Louis Daniel Nimschke himself, it follows the patterns he established in New York’s engraving community. The finish combination is pure 1890s flash – nickel on the barrel and frame, gold plating on the cylinder, hammer, and ejector housing. Add the smooth pearl grips and you’ve got a revolver that would look right at home in a Fifth Avenue gun shop or a gentleman’s sporting club.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“New York Engraved Colt Frontier Six Shooter Model 1878 Revolver.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4095/163/new-york-engraved-colt-frontier-six-shooter-model-1878-revolver. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
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