Wheelgun Wednesday: Gun Presented to The Man Who Killed Billy The Kid

This week on Wheelgun Wednesday I have the great pleasure of talking about one of my personal favorite revolvers and this time with some historical province. We are covering Pat Garret’s Presentation Engraved Colt 1877 “Thunderer”. Everyone has heard of Billy the Kid. Western anti-hero, reluctant outlaw, or no good people shootin' runt to some. Billy’s name is synonymous with Western history but much less so is the man who killed Billy the Kid - Sheriff Pat Garrett. Let’s dive right into his revolver and the history behind it!

Colt 1877 & WW Content @TFB:

• TFB Armorer’s Bench: Colt 1877 Disassembly
• TFB Armorer's Bench: Diagnosing and Assessing a Colt 1877 Lightning
• TFB Armorer's Bench: Commentary on The Colt 1877 Revolvers
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Silver Creek Firearms – Who, What, Where, When?
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Spohr Revolvers – German, Shooting Precision

Pat Garret & Billy The Kid: Colt 1877 Story

I personally have read numerous books on Billy The Kid and highly recommend checking some out (The Kid by Ron Hanson is a favorite). For those who may not be informed and without going too terribly into detail, Billy was shot in Fort Sumner NM in 1881. It was late at night in a dark doorway of a trusted friend's bedroom. Pat Garrett tracked him down and laid in wait with his 7.5” Colt Single Action Army in 44-40 drawn and pointed at the doorway. When Billy entered looking to wake his friend and cook up a steak for a late-night meal he asked “Quién es?” (‘who’s there’ in Spanish). Pat Garrett fired and hit Billy in the heart, sending him to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Allegedly according to Garrett himself, Billy was holding a steak knife but in his pants pocket, he had a nickel-plated Colt 1877 (in .41 Colt, a “Thunderer”).

Because of this the Colt 1877 is often tied and referenced to Billy. Even though the timeline of the end of his days shows him likely picking it up after his final escape and never using it in any western shootouts, Billy’s actual personal favorite firearm was the Winchester 1873 rifle, and he is photographed holding that and carrying a Colt 1873 SAA. 27 years later Pat Garret would be riding his wagon, approached by an associate, and argue over a livestock sale/land dispute. Pat would point a shotgun, and mention his killing of the renowned outlaw only to be laughed at and shot in response.

Pat Garrett Presentation Engraved Colt 1877 Thunderer Revolver

Pat Garrett had an up-and-down life. Born into wealth and losing out on it by the time he was an adult, he would go on to hold a great many jobs and positions that ranged from buffalo hunter, sheriff, and manhunter, and eventually in 1901/1902 he became the Customs Collector of El Paso Texas. He was nominated by none other than former deputy sheriff and current president Teddy Roosevelt himself. Arizona Governor Lew Wallace, author of Ben-Hur and notable enemy of Billy The Kid, had recommended Garret to President Roosevelt.

Within a year of accepting his new position (in 1903) Pat Garret was presented with the focus of our article today - a Colt 1877 in .41 Colt (often referred to as the “Thunderer”). It was shipped from Colt “raw” to the M. Hearly Company out of New York to be engraved. The grip panels are made from silver. The left grip panel reads “Lincoln, Doña Ana, El Paso” in reference to notable locations in his history as a public figure. The right-hand panel reads “Customs Collector”. The back strap reads “Pat Garret - From His El Paso Friends”.

Garrett’s Colt 1877 is up for sale at Rock Island Auctions on August 23, 2024, here’s what they have to say about the revolver:

“In 1901, he had been appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt. A telegram from Garrett to his wife in Lot 92 is dated December 15, 1901, and states, "Don't worry just left the president am collector of Elpaso. P F Garrett." The president had an affinity with the West and its tough lawmen and had himself briefly been a deputy sheriff in the the Dakota Territory in the 1880s as well as police commissioner in New York City. In addition to Garrett, Bat Masterson and Ben Daniels were also given controversial presidential appointments, and the three men became known as the White House Gunfighters. Daniels had previously served with Roosevelt in the Rough Riders and was given an appointment as a U.S. Marshal but soon resigned after his past conduct came under scrutiny. Garrett too was a troublesome appointee. He was known for his temper, and, less than a year and a half into his term, Garrett got into a fistfight with employee George Gaither. Other complaints were also sent back to Washington in attempts to get Garrett removed from office. Instead, Roosevelt stood by Garrett and invited him to attend the Rough Riders reunion in 1905 in San Antonio. Along with Garrett came his friend Tom Powers who for a time had this revolver in his collection. When Roosevelt was informed that Powers was not a cattleman as Garrett had told him but instead the owner of the notorious Coney Island Saloon, Roosevelt fired Garrett at the beginning of 1906.

This historic revolver is engraved in classic American scroll engraving with beaded backgrounds and wavy line and dot accents and features a gold plated/washed finish overall. The 4 ½ inch rounded barrel is stamped with the two-line address "COLTS PT F.A. MFG. Co/HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A." on top and "COLT. D.A. 41" on the left side in an oval panel. The matching serial number "138671" is marked on the frame, trigger guard and back strap. The three-line, three patent dates marking is on the left side of the frame. The back strap is inscribed: "PAT F. GARRETT" followed by "FROM HIS/EL PASO FRIENDS". The unusual solid German silver grips are inscribed "CUSTOMS/COLLECTOR" on the right and "Lincoln", "Dona Ana", and "El Paso" with scroll accents on the left.

The fine balance of weight and proportion of the revolver is readily apparent as it must have been to Pat Garrett when he first held it over 120 years ago. He may have recalled that it was a Colt Model 1877 Lightning that had been used by his former foe, Billy the Kid two decades earlier. The factory letter indicates the revolver was one of three Model 1877 Thunderer's with 4 1/2 inch barrels, "soft" finish, and the stocks not listed when shipped to M. Hartley Company in New York City on October 29, 1902, and the remarks state: "The word 'soft' which appears with the finish indicates that subject revolver was shipped without finial finish for engraving outside our factory." The revolvers may have shipped with either standard grips or without grips given many of the “soft” revolvers sent to the major New York dealer were fitted with deluxe grips of varying types.

One of the most important pieces of historical documentation regarding the revolver is a previously published affidavit made on April 23, 1933, by Ed Warren, an employee of the Coney Island Saloon in El Paso (not included). He stated: "Two separate times, Mr. Garrett came into the Coney Island and left guns for Mr. Powers [owner of the saloon] to display in his collection. The first time, about 1906, Mr. Garrett brought in two guns; these guns were a gold plated .41 Colt and a .44 Winchester rifle. I have examined the guns in the Powers estate and can attest, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are the ones bearing the numbers 138671 on the Colt and 47629 on the Winchester….The golden Colt .41 was given to Mr. Garrett by some friends of the Customs House in 1902. This fact is attested to by the fact that Mr. Garrett said this on numerous visits. These facts are known by many people now living and can be substantiated." Warren made this affidavit during a lawsuit brought by Pauline Garrett against the estate of Tom Powers by which she reclaimed the Colt Model 1873 revolver used to kill Billy the Kid.

The gun collection inventory in the probate records for Power’s estate also lists number 138671 as follows: "Colt D.A. 41 gilt pistol -I.D. No. 138671. This gun was given to Pat Garrett by Customs workers. Got from Garrett in 1906." The gun later became part of the Robert McNellis Collection and then the Dr. Richard C. Marohn Collection and has since changed hands a couple more times. This historic revolver has naturally attracted a lot of attention over the years and has been featured in several publications.”

End of The Line: Pat Garret’s Colt 1877

As mentioned, this beautifully engraved Colt 1877 is being sold through Rock Island Auction Company who themselves have done a bunch of research and even published a video talking about it. It is being sold along with a sheriff’s badge given to Pat Garret not long after the slaying of Billy The Kid. It is estimated to be sold for $130,000 - $190,000. A hefty cost befitting a small revolver with such significance tied to it.