Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Co. is pleased to present this single-action revolver today for a penny-start auction; this is the United States Fire Arms Manufacturing Company (USFA) Pre-War Single Action Revolver FEGA Master Hand-Engraved Masterpiece by Mark Swanson!
An extraordinary exhibition masterpiece! Master engraved by FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson in his "Lucky Lady Pattern", this Hartford-built USFA is chambered in .38 Colt / .38 Special and features full satin blue finish, fire-blued screws & trigger, and 2-piece spalted maple stocks!
The engraving work of FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson is highly desirable among collectors who appreciate traditional hand engraving, particularly examples featuring his distinctive “Lucky Lady” pattern. Swanson’s work is recognized for its crisp execution, balanced scrollwork, fine shading, and the artistic way in which figurative elements are incorporated into the overall composition rather than appearing simply added to the firearm. His Lucky Lady motif is especially sought after because it combines classic American gun-engraving tradition with an immediately recognizable subject, giving each piece tremendous visual character and individuality. Firearms engraved by a recognized FEGA Master Engraver occupy a different level of collector interest than ordinary embellished examples, and Swanson’s signed or documented work offers an appealing combination of craftsmanship, artist recognition, and scarcity. For collectors of engraved firearms, a well-executed Mark Swanson Lucky Lady piece represents not only an impressive display firearm, but a tangible example of contemporary master-level engraving artistry.
THIS EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE IS PART OF AN INCREDIBLE CONSECUTIVE SERIAL-NUMBER PAIR OF USFA REVOLVERS MASTER ENGRAVED BY FEGA MASTER ENGRAVER MARK SWANSON!
THIS REVOLVER BEARS SERIAL NUMBER D280, WHILE ITS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE MATCHED SISTER REVOLVER BEARS THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING SERIAL NUMBER D279—CREATING AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP THIS REMARKABLE MASTER-ENGRAVED PAIR TOGETHER!
DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THE MATCHING SISTER USFA! SIMPLY TYPE ITEM NUMBER #1202355076 INTO THE SEARCH BAR OR CLICK “SELLER’S OTHER ITEMS” TO VIEW THE COMPANION REVOLVER!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: United States Fire Arms Manufacturing Company (USFA - Hartford, Conn.)
Model: Single Action Revolver (Pre-War Style Custom)
Serial: D280
Caliber: .38 Colt / .38 Special (.38 S&W Special)
Finish: Full Satin Blue Finish w/ Full-Coverage "Lucky Lady Pattern" FEGA Master Hand Engraving & Electric Fire-Blued Screws, Trigger & Cylinder Pin
Barrel Length: 5.5" Single Action Barrel
Optics/Sights: Standard Single Action Frame V-Notch Rear Sight w/ Blade Front Sight
Stock/Grips: Custom Hand-Fitted 2-Piece Spalted Maple Grip Panels
Action: Single-Action Revolver w/ 6-Shot Fluted Cylinder, Hand-Engraved Hammer & Fire-Blued Cylinder Pin Retainer
Markings: Master hand-engraved by FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson in his "Lucky Lady Pattern". Backstrap features Mark Swanson's artist cipher stamp. Left side barrel hand-engraved within scrollwork "COLT AND S&W SPECIAL 38". Top of barrel stamped "U.S.F.A. MFG. Co / HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.". Trigger guard frame forward area stamped with serial "D280". Frame left side stamped with patent dates "PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871 / JULY 2. 72 / JAN. 19. 75". Full-coverage Lucky Lady style scroll, starburst geometric borders, and shell motifs executed across the frame, cylinder, barrel, ejector rod housing, backstrap, and trigger guard.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
Operating underneath the famous blue dome of the original Colt armory building in Hartford, Connecticut, the United States Fire Arms Manufacturing Company (USFA) earned legendary status among collectors for producing the finest Single Action Army revolvers of the modern era. Utilizing pure American steel and traditional hand-fitting techniques, USFA revolvers surpassed even modern Colt production in precision, timing, and finish quality. USFA's custom shop regularly collaborated with Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA) Master Engravers like Mark Swanson to produce bespoke exhibition pieces, blending full-coverage master hand engraving with striking contrast accents like electric fire-blued hardware, satin bluing, and exhibition-grade natural woods. Following USFA's factory closure in 2011, these Hartford-made hand-fitted single actions have become premier blue-chip investment items.
This specific example, serial number D280, is a museum-tier exhibition piece master hand-engraved by FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson. Execution of Swanson's custom "Lucky Lady Pattern" covers near 100% of the sleek full satin blued steel—including the inner recoil channel, cylinder flutes, ejector rod housing, and backstrap—with fine western scroll, geometric starburst patterns, shell motifs, and detailed borders. The satin blued steel is intensely contrasted by deep electric fire-blued screws, trigger, cylinder pin, and ejector rod hardware, all anchored by a pair of richly figured, hand-fitted 2-piece spalted maple grips. Complete with a factory green-lined USFA trade mark box and factory paper insert, this master-crafted USFA Single Action represents an irreplaceable centerpiece for the advanced western revolver collector or high-end firearms investor.
Contents:
Model: Single Action Revolver (Pre-War Style Custom)
Serial: D280
Caliber: .38 Colt / .38 Special (.38 S&W Special)
Finish: Full Satin Blue Finish w/ Full-Coverage "Lucky Lady Pattern" FEGA Master Hand Engraving & Electric Fire-Blued Screws, Trigger & Cylinder Pin
Barrel Length: 5.5" Single Action Barrel
Optics/Sights: Standard Single Action Frame V-Notch Rear Sight w/ Blade Front Sight
Stock/Grips: Custom Hand-Fitted 2-Piece Spalted Maple Grip Panels
Action: Single-Action Revolver w/ 6-Shot Fluted Cylinder, Hand-Engraved Hammer & Fire-Blued Cylinder Pin Retainer
Markings: Master hand-engraved by FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson in his "Lucky Lady Pattern". Backstrap features Mark Swanson's artist cipher stamp. Left side barrel hand-engraved within scrollwork "COLT AND S&W SPECIAL 38". Top of barrel stamped "U.S.F.A. MFG. Co / HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.". Trigger guard frame forward area stamped with serial "D280". Frame left side stamped with patent dates "PAT. SEPT. 19. 1871 / JULY 2. 72 / JAN. 19. 75". Full-coverage Lucky Lady style scroll, starburst geometric borders, and shell motifs executed across the frame, cylinder, barrel, ejector rod housing, backstrap, and trigger guard.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
Operating underneath the famous blue dome of the original Colt armory building in Hartford, Connecticut, the United States Fire Arms Manufacturing Company (USFA) earned legendary status among collectors for producing the finest Single Action Army revolvers of the modern era. Utilizing pure American steel and traditional hand-fitting techniques, USFA revolvers surpassed even modern Colt production in precision, timing, and finish quality. USFA's custom shop regularly collaborated with Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA) Master Engravers like Mark Swanson to produce bespoke exhibition pieces, blending full-coverage master hand engraving with striking contrast accents like electric fire-blued hardware, satin bluing, and exhibition-grade natural woods. Following USFA's factory closure in 2011, these Hartford-made hand-fitted single actions have become premier blue-chip investment items.
This specific example, serial number D280, is a museum-tier exhibition piece master hand-engraved by FEGA Master Engraver Mark Swanson. Execution of Swanson's custom "Lucky Lady Pattern" covers near 100% of the sleek full satin blued steel—including the inner recoil channel, cylinder flutes, ejector rod housing, and backstrap—with fine western scroll, geometric starburst patterns, shell motifs, and detailed borders. The satin blued steel is intensely contrasted by deep electric fire-blued screws, trigger, cylinder pin, and ejector rod hardware, all anchored by a pair of richly figured, hand-fitted 2-piece spalted maple grips. Complete with a factory green-lined USFA trade mark box and factory paper insert, this master-crafted USFA Single Action represents an irreplaceable centerpiece for the advanced western revolver collector or high-end firearms investor.
Contents:
This example will ship with a Factory USFA Green-Lined Craft Box and Factory USFA Paperwork Insert.
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.
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
Long Gun Standard Shipping with Insurance $70.00
Any orders placed with magazines that are not compliant with your state, county, or city regulations will not ship with your order.
We strive to ship orders within the close of the following business day after payment and documentation is received.
Payment Details
We accept all forms of Payment including Personal Check, Business Check, PO Money Orders, Certified Check, Etc.
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
Our #1 priority is customer satisfaction. We want to build a lasting trust in the relationship with our customers, so that you will always look to us for all your firearms needs. If you have any issues with your transactions please contact us, and we will work with you to resolve any issues you may have. We greatly appreciate your trust in us and we look forward to fulfilling all your future firearm needs.
Bryant Ridge also reserves the right to cancel any sales that may occur while gunbroker.com is experiencing technical issues that affects the entire site or a complete site outage, within an hour of the auction ending.
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About Us
From a small town hobby, to a leader in the investment and collector grade firearms industry. Bryant Ridge Firearms is here to offer the best in quality and customer service when you are looking to unload your collector grade firearm collection. 
Additional Information
GunbrokerLink: |
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1202341721 |
BidPrice: |
0.01 |
AuctionEndDate: |
2026-09-20 22:00:00 |
CurrentBid: |
2025 |
