Pair of Colt SAA Revolver - 346A

This iconic pair of Colt Single Action Army revolvers and their Arvo Ojala silver mounted holster rig are accompanied by a handwritten certificate of authenticity signed by Richard "Red" Skelton's wife, Lothian Skelton, on August 29, 2013, confirming the "hand guns were personally owned and cherished by Red Skelton." It lists them by serial number, confirms the grips, and states that they included a custom black leather rig with silver trim. Skelton was and is a beloved American entertainer and is best known for "The Red Skelton Show." This pair and the holster rig are featured in Season 11 of the show in Episode 4: "Dead Eye & the Gun Slinger" from October 17, 1961. For 17 of the 20 years the show ran, it was in the top ten highest rated programs on television. Skelton was also cast in many comedic films. Among his most popular films are "The Fuller Brush Man," "The Yellow Cab Man," "A Southern Yankee," and "Lady Be Good." He started his career as a live performer and remained a talented stage performer throughout his life. He was also an excellent painter and was known for his clown paintings. He received numerous awards over the years and is part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Both of these revolvers were manufactured in 1960 and are fitted with pearl grips with the right grip of "A" carved with a steer head and the left grip of "B" carved with the same so that the carving shows when the revolvers are holsters. Both revolvers have the standard markings and features including matching serial numbers. Interestingly, the back straps were swapped from one gun to the other so gun A's back strap is numbered to gun B, and vice versa. A black leather rig by Arvo Ojala of Hollywood, California, complete with two holsters and a cartridge belt is included. The strap tip and buckle are silver and are engraved with detailed scrollwork. Ojala began making quick draw holsters in the early 1950s and became an important technical advisor in the mid-20th century teaching actors how to shoot and quick draw at impressive speeds. He also appeared in westerns, including most famously in the opening sequence of "Gunsmoke" as the man shot by Marshal Matt Dillon

Condition: Excellent. 98% plus of the original nickel plating remains. There is a thin drag line on the cylinder, some light flash marks, a small flake on the muzzle, and some faint spotting. The grips are excellent aside from chips on the toe and at the junction with the rear of the frame on the left panel. Mechanically excellent. The holster rig is very good and has mild wear mainly at the edges and attractively aged patina on the silver.