Name: Colt Single Action Army -Factory MASTER Engraved- *LEONARD FRANCOLINI*
Brand: Colt
SKU: 58776
Availability: OutOfStock

Description

Description

Item Description

Bryant Ridge Co. is pleased to present this BEAUTIFUL single-action revolver today for a penny-start auction; this is the Colt Single-Action Army Factory Master Engraved by Leonard Francolini!

This example remains New Old Stock, showing no evidence of consumer use or handling whatsoever.

Leonard Francolini is regarded as one of Colt’s great modern Master Engravers, active primarily during the 1970s and 1980s, when Colt revived its tradition of in-house artistic engraving. He entered the Colt Custom Shop as a young engraver and trained under senior Colt Master Engraver Al DeJohn, who had himself been a direct link to the earlier house styles that traced back to Cuno Helfricht and the Nimschke era. Under DeJohn’s mentorship, Francolini refined his technique in banknote-style scroll, deep relief leafwork, and the careful use of negative space—skills that allowed him to carry forward the classic Colt look while also developing his own recognizable artistic voice. Over time, he became a go-to engraver for high-grade presentation Colts, special-order deluxe revolvers, and Custom Shop exhibition pieces. Francolini’s engraving is sought after because it represents the perfect midpoint between old-world handwork and tasteful modern execution. His scroll is elegant without being crowded, his backgrounds are clean and deeply relieved, and his gold inlays are applied with balance rather than excess—traits that collectors value highly because they age well visually. Unlike mass-produced commemorative engraving, Francolini’s work was individual, hand-cut, and commissioned in extremely small numbers, often for executives, dignitaries, or special Colt presentations. As a result, a Francolini-engraved Colt is not simply decorative—it is a documented piece of Colt Custom Shop artistry, directly tied to one of the last generations of true hand-engravers who maintained the company’s historic American engraving lineage.

According to the Colt Factory Letter, this example (88620SA) had Leonard Francolini, a Master Colt Engraver, Engrave Class “A” standard level scroll engraving including the inscription “GRIFF SQUIRE C.C.C. SO. CALIF” 1966-1976 in block style letter on the backstrap. Additionally, this example was shipped to Metropolitan Arms Inc. Concord, California on January 25th, 1978.

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SPECIFICATIONS:

Manufacturer: Colt
Model: Single Action Army - Third Generation / 3rd Gen
Serial: 88620SA
Date of Manufacture: 1978
Caliber: .45 Colt
Finish: Nickel
Barrel Length: 7.5"
Optics/Sights: Frame Notched Rear w/ Fixed Blade Front
Stock/Grips: Checkered Synthetic Colt “Eagle” Grips
Action: Single-Action
Markings: Standard / Class “A” Master Colt Factory Standard Level Scroll Engraving - “GRIFF SQUARE C.C.C. SO. CALIF 1966-1976” on the backstrap

Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
The Colt Single Action Army handgun is a single action revolver designed for the US government service revolver trials of 1873 by Colt’s Manufacturing Company and adopted as the standard military service revolver until 1892. Although the SAA has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths, its overall appearance has remained consistent since 1873. Colt has discontinued its production twice, but brought it back due to excessive demand.

Leonard Francolini (often misspelled “Francoloni”) is one of the defining figures of Colt’s modern engraving renaissance. Coming up in the 1970s–1980s Custom Shop, he trained under senior Colt Master Engraver Al DeJohn, inheriting both technique and tradition from a line that reaches back to 19th-century house styles (Cuno Helfricht, L. D. Nimschke influence). Within that workshop culture—where metal prep, layout, and hand-cut scroll were taught side-by-side—Francolini developed a disciplined, instantly recognizable voice: elegant American banknote scroll, deep and evenly relieved backgrounds, crisp leaf shading, and gold inlay used with restraint and purpose. Francolini’s importance is twofold: he preserved Colt’s classical vocabulary of scroll and borders at a time when factory engraving elsewhere was sliding toward cast or acid-etched shortcuts, and he advanced it with contemporary proportion and negative space. Many of his commissions were one-off or tiny-batch Custom Shop projects—presentation Single Action Armys, Pythons, and Government Models—executed start-to-finish by hand. That scarcity, combined with the uniform quality of his cutting and the way his layouts “sit” on Colt frames and slides, makes his work stand apart from both earlier commemoratives and later outsourced embellishment. For collectors, a Francolini-engraved Colt carries pedigree and provenance. The best pieces are documented by factory letters naming the engraver, and his signature or initials are typically tucked into unobtrusive locations. Because his output was limited and his standards were high—clean background punch work, consistent scroll pitch, tasteful gold borders and inlays—these guns remain blue-chip examples of late-20th-century American factory engraving. In short, Francolini bridges Colt’s historic house style with modern masterwork, which is why his engraving is so heavily sought after today.

Contents:

This example will ship with the Factory-Original Colt Custom Shop box, Colt Presentation case, and Factory Colt Letter! This example remains New Old Stock, showing no evidence of consumer use or handling whatsoever.

Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.

Shipping Details

Handgun Standard Shipping with Insurance $50.00

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Payment Details

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Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.

Payment MUST be received within 14 days.

Return Policy

We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.

Additional Details

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