Welcome to at this time’s Photo of the Day! Right here we’ve a Colt Single Motion Military that belonged to John Wayne, documented by a signed letter from his son Patrick Wayne. In response to Patrick, this revolver was a part of the rig Duke wore for private appearances by way of the Nineteen Seventies throughout his last years. The gun itself began life as an 1879 SAA however has been extensively modified over the many years. The barrel’s been minimize to 4 3/4 inches, it’s been renumbered, and it reveals the sort of put on you’d count on from a working prop that made appearances moderately than sat in a show case.
What makes this attention-grabbing isn’t the gun’s originality – it’s been by way of the wringer. What issues is the connection to John Wayne, who grew to become synonymous with the Single Motion Military by way of his movie profession. Wayne wasn’t simply an actor who dealt with SAAs on display screen. He was a shooter who understood the weapons and carried them at private appearances all through his life.
By the Nineteen Seventies, Wayne was preventing most cancers and making fewer public appearances, however when he did present up, he’d usually put on his full western rig. This revolver was a part of that presentation – not a movie gun, however a private look piece that stored Duke linked to the cowboy picture that outlined his profession. The letter from Patrick Wayne offers the provenance that separates this from simply one other modified SAA. With out that documentation, this is able to be a reasonably unremarkable altered Colt. With it, you’ve bought a tangible connection to Hollywood’s most well-known cowboy throughout his twilight years.
Most of our POTDs make the most of photos from our buddies at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms public sale in the USA. Take a while to browse their current auctions – who is aware of, possibly you’ll discover a piece of historical past to take residence!
Documented Vintage Colt Single Motion Military Revolver, Previously the Property of Well-known Hollywood Actor John Wayne with Patrick Wayne Letter | Rock Island Public sale, www.rockislandauction.com/element/1049/26/documented-john-wayne-antique-colt-single-action-army-revolver. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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