The Original Hintlian Colt Special Order Ledgers

Handwritten historical document with cursive script.

Handwritten notes on lined paper with blue ink markings.

Close-up of handwritten cursive text on paper.

Handwritten notes referencing Mexican nationals and a person named S.A. Piot.

The factory original Hintlian Colt Special Order Build Record Ledgers span from September of 1889 through August of 1914. With some very slight limited gaps, these records run continuously and comprise of 10 ledger books which cover 25 years of Colt revolvers and include thousands upon thousands of pages of entries, and tens of thousands of guns represented in the pages. While these ledgers are mainly concerned with revolvers, they do include some Auto pistol entries in the 1914 ledger.

What's in the Special Order Build Record Ledgers??? More Provenance!

The Special Order Build Record Ledgers have information for both custom special order guns and standard configuration guns, depending on the era. They will typically spell out the model, and the below bullet points of information where special order features deviate from standard. In the vast majority of cases, these Ledgers will expand/enhance on the information found on your Colt Archives Letter.

Finishes - Standard and Special Requests
Calibers of All Kinds
Barrel Lengths - Standard and Special Order Lengths
Inscriptions of All Kinds
Engraving with Specific Level called out.
Grip Details - Carvings, Initials, etc.
Special Sights of All Kinds
Shipping Locations (some eras represented in the ledgers have this, some don't)
Trigger Pull Specified
Custom Fitting and General Notes of Special Request ('To Be Perfect In Every Way' was one written request observed recently)
Other Features - Checkering of Backstraps/Front-straps, and Everything Else You Can Imagine

~ These Ledgers can provide further provenance for your gun! ~

Special Order Ledger Entry Pricing
Pricing is predicated on the content of the entry, length of entry, and how much the Special Order entry expands on the Archive Letter details. All Letters will be accompanied by an ACTUAL photo of the entry of your gun.

Pricing Tiers*
-A: $60 for more limited or basic content entries, or for standard configuration guns found in the Special Order Ledgers.

-B: $80 for entries confirming Archive Letter details, or reasonably expanding on those details.

-C: $200 for entries that add considerable and impactful details or confirm valuable configuration details NOT confirmed on the Archive Letter. Examples: confirming a gun as factory engraved, or confirming a gun as ejectorless, or factory inscriptions, or confirming carved ivory grips - when that detail isn't confirmed on the Archive Letter. This tier exists for details that are confirmed where the additional provenance adds considerably (thousands) to the value of your gun.

-D: TBD and case-by-case basis. Examples here would be confirming your gun went to a famous person, when the Archive Letter does not say so. This level includes entries that make your gun worth $50,000+ more solely because of Special Order entry. These ledgers legitimatized an engraved SAA as being made for Teddy Roosevelt, and the gun sold for over $1 million because of the Special Order entry found in these exact ledgers.

*Discounts may be offered at our discretion for quantity of letters ordered or other reasoning.

1901 Destination Ledger Pricing
Pricing for these letters is calculated on a case-by-case basis. These entries can considerably add more to your provenance and gun value by telling you where your gun actually shipped past the company ordering it. An example: a gun letters to Sears & Robuck, but the 1901 Destination Ledger shows they ordered it for a store or individual in Eagle Pass, Texas, or the same in Indian Territory. The destination matters and these entries DO enhance the value of the gun.

~ FAQs ~

What Do You Need In Order To Contact Me to Check the Ledgers For You? The first thing you need is a Colt Archives Letter. Take a picture of your gun with the Archives Letter visible. I need the details on that document in order to search the Special Order Ledger records. If you don't have a letter, reach out to the Colt Archive's folks and begin your journey there.

What Happens If I Don't Find Anything For Your Gun? Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and you don't owe any $.

What Happens If You're Not Satisfied With The Level of Research I Can Provide For Your Gun? No Hard Feelings, and you don't have to pay. You won't be provided with information or an image of the ledger, however. I will inform you as to the level of detail of what I have and you can make the judgement call to move forward.

Who Do I Provide Research For? Collectors and owners of the Colt in question.

Can A Record Be Looked Up For a Gun Owned By Someone Else? Unfortunately not. I offer research on guns for the owner, only.

Will I Research Guns Currently Being Marketed For Sale or On Auction? For guns being marketed or those actively for sale or on auction, NO. I only provide archival research after they are sold or removed from the market. The playing field for collectors is leveled by not having this service available for speculators.

What Does The Letter Format Look Like? See below. They are printed on archival paper, signed & embossed before being sent to you in a rigid envelope to minimize bending in transit.

Draft document titled 'Huntian Special Order Ledger - Archived Record' with handwritten notes and a large 'Draft' watermark.

~ Case Studies ~

Gold Medal Olympian Target Shooter Paul Palen's Special Order SAA

A vintage revolver with wooden grips and a bullet on a wooden surface.

A vintage revolver with a wooden grip on a wooden surface.

Close-up of a gun's wooden grip with markings and a metal screw.

Close-up of a wooden revolver grip with checkered texture and metal screw.

A Colt Single Action Army revolver with specifications listed on paper.

Black and white portrait of a man with a mustache and goatee.

Close-up of handwritten notes with cursive script and blue markings.

A close-up of blurry, old printed text with partial words visible.

Above shows off a rather special Single Action Army with some rather interesting details confirmed and provided in the Hintlian Special Order Ledger entry for the gun. The Colt Archives letter specifies Paul Palen as being shipped a 5 1/2" .44 S&W caliber blued Single Action Army, as well as the fact that the gun included checkered wood stocks and was shipped to Palen on December 10th, 1908. At face value, this would be an interesting gun with a RARE caliber for the time period. The Special Order Ledger doubles down.

The Special Order Ledger expands on this info and enhances it by clarifying and expanding the data by confirming that the grips are actually engraved walnut, not just checkered. The grips are engraved on the sides and bottom with his initials - PP. In addition, the Ledger specifies a 4 1/2 lb trigger pull. Most interesting is the info in the Ledger pertaining to the caliber. The Ledger states that a .44 Russian cylinder was used, along with a rechambered .44 Russian barrel, all rechambered for the gun in .44 S&W Special. This gun represents the among the beginning examples of a Colt Single Action being made in this caliber, so it's rather intriguing to see the nuts & bolts of how the gun was made spelled out.

Paul Palen was a Swedish born mining engineer who worked in Globe Arizona Territory at the Old Dominion Mine when this Colt was shipped to him. In 1912, after 5 successful years working in Globe and competing in Arizona Championship target shooting, he decamped for Stockholm Sweden to take part in the 1912 Olympics where he would capture both a Silver and a Gold medal for his home country in shooting events.

None of this analysis would be possible without the Colt Archives Letter, and the Special Order Ledger picks up and enhances where the Archives Letter leaves off.

Jack MacQuarrie's 1904 Factory Silver Plated and Inscribed Single Action Army

A silver revolver with a white handle on a wooden surface.

A polished silver revolver with a white handle on a wooden surface.

Close-up of a metallic object engraved with 'M. Margarette'.

Close-up of a metallic object with inscriptions on a wooden surface.

A vintage newspaper excerpt about a pearl necklace and a revolver.

Black and white close-up portrait of a man in a suit and tie.

Image of a Colt Single Action Army Revolver with specifications and description.

A handwritten note dated May 3, 1904, with names and locations.

Jack MacQuarrie's Silver Plated Single Action Army has a wonderful Colt Archives Letter, and the Special Order Ledger entry is icing on the cake. This is a case where the Archives Letter showcases the detail perfectly, and the Ledger entry gets to show off the detail with the written out Factory inscriptions.

The gun was made as a 4 3/4" Silver plated .45 sporting pearl grips. Engraved on the backstrap was: J.M. MacQuarrie. On the top of the backstrap near the frame: Walsenburg Colorado, April 20, 1904. The only real digression is where the Special Order Ledger spells out the state, which matches the gun in person. The Archives Letter data and the S.O. Ledger image go together perfectly.

So, who was Jack MacQuarrie and why is this gun of interest? At this point in time, Jack MacQuarrie was the Undersheriff of Huerfano County, Colorado, serving underneath Jefferson Farr as Sheriff. Farr is now noted as having a rather infamous history in that country. MacQuarrie would be Undersheriff from 1902 through 1909, and later spent time as a Railroad detective and worked around a number of hot situations involving organized labor and law enforcement. A newspaper article is included here detailing this very gun being gifted to him. Another article account details where an event a year after MacQuarrie's Colt was given to him when he shot and killed a man in a gunfight. Did he use it in the line of duty? The imagination knows no bounds!