Colt Etched Panel .44-40 SAA Description
the most desirable of all Commercial black powder era SAAs, this variant has the words "Colt Frontier Six Shooter" acid etched in a panel on the left side of the barrel. This marking was the result of a request in January 1878 by J. P. Moore's and Sons, one of Colt's largest distributors in New York. to help them market the new .44-40 Winchester chambered SAA. Colt agreed and shipped the first "etched panels" to Moore's and Sons in February 1878. The lowest serial numbered known etched panel .44-40 is in the 41,000 serial range (1878) and the highest in the 129,000 range circa 1890.