SA of Pietta made by Dassa
From the time Pietta began making single-action revolvers based on the historical Colt models produced from the 1870s through the last century, demand from collectors and enthusiasts has been for authentic but reasonably priced reproductions that are suitable for both shooting and display, the latter being the reason Pietta and Dassa have joined forces to create and reproduce a series of single-action revolvers representative of the originals, with many elements based on famous historical weapons.
The engraving store of Cuna A. Helfricht was responsible for some of the most impressive Colt house work done on the 1873 Peacemaker. Shown are two recent Dassa models, a Buntline incorporating designs based on six different Colt guns from the Centennial Exposition, and a copy of the revolver presented by the citizens of Perry (Oklahoma) to the U.S marshal Wm. Tilghman.
One of the most ambitious weapons was Pietta’s Buntline, which Dassa engraved in the style of those displayed by Colt at the great Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia.
The Buntline was truly a masterpiece that managed to incorporate aspects of more than a dozen different guns exhibited during the 1876 Centennial and originally produced by Colt master engraver Cuno A. Helfricht. Mauro notes that “Engraving since the mid-19th century was definitely prestigious. In any case, modern techniques allow us to reach higher levels of quality today.”
To this end, the Dassa brothers were able to use a combination of techniques to recreate and in some ways take the Centennial weapons a step further by producing a unique example that embodies Helfricht’s designs.
His use of complex scrollwork, animal figures such as bears and eagles, and elaborate edge engraving around castles and drums was unprecedented on Colt Peacemakers prior to his 1876 Centennial engraving work.
In December 1873 the famous frontier sheriff Bill Tilghman showed up with a Colt Single Action masterfully engraved by the citizens of Perry, Oklahoma. Dassa’s reproduction is faithful to the New York engraving style of the original model. The original photo of the weapon with the ammunition box was taken in the 1880s when Tilghman’s weapon was owned by John Bianchi and displayed in his Frontier Museum.
The same is true of several special weapons recently engraved–based on the originals–by the Dassa, such as the Colt presented in December 1893 to famous frontiersman Bill Tilghman by the citizens of Perry (Oklahoma). Along with his deputies, Tilghman was largely responsible for sweeping organized crime out of Oklahoma, especially from Perry, a booming lawless town that Tilghman took under his own control after becoming city marshal in 1893. In Perry, Tilghman was both city law and U.S. Deputy Marshall thus having unlimited jurisdiction.
The engraving on Tilghman’s SSA was typical of the Nimschke or New York style popular in the 1870s and 1880s. The Dassa brothers copied the general engraving pattern from photographs of the originals. This represents one of the first designs to be offered in limited edition by the Piettas in the Lawman series.
The third in Pietta’s new Lawman series is the Bat Masterson (see Weapons of the Old West Winter 2013) engraved with a pattern that echoes one carried by the famous Dodge City lawyer. (Style of Colt grips by Lewis Ezsak/Cowboy Emporium; Masterson holster by Chisholm’s Trail Leather)
Another is the Colt-based single-action engraving pattern attributed to Bat Masterson, which consists of the second model in Pietta’s new house series.
What further distinguishes these models, excluding the exceptional hand engraving and finely tuned action, is the fact that they are all equipped with Pietta’s new black powder style castle that allows not only for engraving but also for the engraved weapon to be historically accurate. Black powder castles or early Colt styles mount a single screw on the front to lock the drum locking pin.
This screw must be removed so that the pin and drum can be removed for cleaning. The mechanism of transverse closure (transverse latch) used most commonly today on Colt Single Actions reproductions was not introduced until 1892 and coincided with a general shift from black powder to infused cartridges, which is why we refer to early styles of castles as “black powder” castles.
The American War of Secession was a watershed period for gun engravings with luxury examples of Colt, Remington, and other brands being presented to officers by various manufacturers or individuals. Shown are Starr single action, Colt 1851 Navy, Colt 1860 Army and Remington New Model Army engraved by Dassa.
All four models will be made available with authentic Dassa engravings based on the actual weapons of the period.
This article continues in the next issue of the Pietta editorial…
