Offered here is a newly discovered, exceptionally rare, historical and only period documented Colt Buntline revolver that was the property of William P. Vandevert of Fort Griffin, Texas and Bend County, Oregon. William Plutarch Vandevert (February 24, 1854 – February 26, 1944) was a western adventurer, a cattleman, and Oregon pioneer. After travels in California, Texas, and Arizona, he established a cattle ranch fifteen miles south of present-day Bend, Oregon. He blazed trails through the Cascade Mountains and was a renowned bear hunter. He sired eight children, including three doctors, and was a leading citizen of Central Oregon for many years. This revolver, with full documentation, was purchased directly from W. P. Vandeverts’ granddaughter, Cynthia (Vandevert) Crabtree in 2016 of Sellersburg, Indiana, who inherited the gun from her father, Dr. Arthur Vandevert (son of William). Realizing the importance of such a find, Rock Island Auction has been trying to bring this gun to auction ever since, and we are pleased to finally be able to offer it to the collecting fraternity. This extremely rare revolver, used from the hills and cattle drives of Texas to one of the gun-slinging capitals of the west, Holbrook, Arizona, is accompanied with wonderful and interesting stories about Vandevert and his family, many of which can be easily found on the internet. They span from the California Gold Rush, the Clark Massacre in Idaho, the Modoc Wars, bear hunting in the western frontier, cattle-ranching in Fort Griffin, Texas, cowboy life with the Hash-Knife outfit, shoot-outs in Holbrook, Arizona, to an accusation of murder in Oregon, all fully documented. The history of William P. Vandevert is amazing, and being a prolific huntsman and trailblazer in areas of great danger, he certainly knew the value of carrying a .45 Long Colt Revolver vs. any alternative. Included with the revolver is a framed 14 X 5 inch board, burned with a 19th century cattle brand in the form of a hash-knife, provided by Mrs. Crabtree and which she removed from the wall in her living room and gave to our consigner stating that the brand was burned into the board and kept by her father as a memento of home and family. Along with the board, she gave an old framed photograph of two mounted cowboys, the right cowboy she identified as her grandfather, William P. Vandevert. Vandevert is credited in at least one publication with designing this famous brand while in Texas, being that of Vandeverts’ first ranch near Albany, Texas, later used by the massive Aztec Land & Cattle Company (also known as the famous and notorious “Hash-Knife Outfit”) of the Southwest and the Vandevert ranch of Oregon. The Hash-knife Outfit gained the reputation as having the “thievinist, fightinest bunch of cowboys” in the country. Late 19th century ranching gave rise to rustling, robbery and gunfights. An uptick in violence was quickly experienced in Holbrook where 26 shooting deaths were recorded in 1883 alone. At the time Holbrook was home to only about 250 people. So famous was the outfit that author Zane Grey wrote his novel “The Hash Knife Outfit” about the group. The Vandeverts left Arizona around 1889 and started their family ranch in 1891 after a visit to New York. The gun is accompanied with research of Vandeverts’ exploits throughout his life in the West and they are quite exciting to say the least. Colt Single Actions with carbine length barrels are popularly known as "Buntline Specials". Colt factory records list 18 Buntline Specials between serial numbers "28800" and "28830". This revolver has a .45 caliber, special frame with folding leaf rear sight and gas port, elongated hammer screws and skeleton style detachable stock. The original barrel was cut to 6-1/2" during its time of use and is now accompanied by a 16" professionally mad modern replacement barrel as well, featuring a cut-in coin front sight. The ejector rod has the early bullseye head and the hammer has elongated, bordered, knurling on the spur. The top of the barrel is roll stamped with the "Type II" legend: "COLT'S PT.FA.MFG. Co. HARTFORD.CT.U.S.A." in one line. The left side of the frame is roll stamped with the "1871/1872" two-line patent markings. "45 CAL" is roll stamped on the left shoulder of the trigger guard. The full serial number "28814" is stamped on all appropriate parts with the exception of the cylinder (which is unnumbered) and are guaranteed original. The inside of the loading gate is stamped with the assembly number "11". The number "12" is stamped in the rear sight recess on the top of the frame as well as on the ladder sight itself and an "H" inspection mark is stamped in the hammer well above the firing pin hole. The revolver is accompanied by its original, period shortened 6 1/2-inch barrel stamped with the partial serial number "8814", and fitted with a period replacement front sight in the form of a coin.

Very good. The revolver has a smooth silver-gray patina overall with most of its bright original high-polish blue beneath the ejector housing. The frame has some scattered and very fine pitting on the left recoil shield and left side of the trigger guard but the balance has a smooth silver-gray, patina. The Colt patent marking and serial numbers are crisp. The unnumbered period replacement cylinder has been cleaned and has a few spots of heavy pitting between the stops with lighter pitting in the flutes and on the leading edge. The grips have shrunk slightly with time and shows some casual attractive age cracks. The reproduction detachable stock is fair-good with exposed brass and no trace of nickel plating. The stock is unpolished with scattered scratches and handling marks. Manufactured in very limited numbers, the Colt Single Action Army Buntline Special revolvers are among the rarest and most desirable of all Colt Single Actions and the rich western history associated with this revolver put it in a league of its own. It is in as-found condition. Its history is not word-of-mouth, a maybe, a possibility or a could have been. This revolver has rock-solid provenance, authenticity and Wild West history. A gun that true collectors can appreciate. The information provided should be researched further and published.