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FOURTH MODEL or MARSHAL MODEL: 5,5“ barrels
without barrel marking. Fluted cylinders, recoil shield and back-strap cut
for shoulder stock and a high gloss polish/”in the white”
finish are standard. To protect these pistols from rust the
surface is specially heat-treated. They were made between 1971 and 1973 only. The centaur of the logo is the walking
one! During the 1860s no 1860 Army ever left the Colt factory with a barrel
shorter than 6” but this Marshal is an easy handling quick draw six gun for
black powder cowboy shooting! |
4.1 – 1st Variation: 3-screw frames are regular, with the lowest
S/N documented being 11298 and the highest 14152. Pictured below is a pair of
Marshals. The bottom one was custom fitted with a new front sight.
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S/N 12089 (top) and S/N 12067 (bottom) |
What’s unusual about below Marshal S/N 14302? No, it
is not the varnished grips. They are rare but not unusual. What is it, pards & pardettes? Yes, you are right: the
proof house has stamped the caliber mark upside down
(from the top 3rd row, 1st picture from left)!
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A bucket full of Marshal – views of S/N 13402 |
When you look into the
business end she sure looks, well, intimidating.
There sure are some
interesting pistols out there: Erik Fridjoffson FROCS
#44 brought below S/N 13053 to my attention in July 2009. This snubby looks like a regular Marshal but has been
personalized nicely: all proof
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Personalized barrel marking of S/N 13053 ADDRESS SAML COLT HARTFORT, CT. hardly visible |
& factory marks were
removed, antique finish applied. ADDRESS SAML COLT HARTFORT, CT. is the barrel marking, grip panels
grip are carved. What a nice custom job on this cute piece of pocket artillery,
wouldn’d you agree?
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S/N 13053 |
4.2 – 2nd Variation: 4-screw frames are very rare. Like the 2nd variation Cavalry Model the 4th screws here have no further function and are almost flush with the frame. Likewise their serial numbers have the F-prefix above the digits stamped under the barrel lug only!
Only specimens S/N F11282 and F11510 are currently known from Belgium
and Germany and documented in the survey.
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S/N F11510 reported from Belgium August 2009, no MADE IN BELGIUM on the butt |
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Pricing: back in 1972 mail order dealer Bärbel
Harlos of Schwäbisch Hall,
Germany, would have charged you DM 337,50 for a Centaure
Marshal.
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From Bärbel Harlos, Germany catalog 1973 |
Medallions
inlaid into the grips with the Centaure logo were
available as a special order option from Fabriques d’Armes Unies de Liège. You friendly German dealer had to order them for
you from FAUL’s back then. |
FAQ: “Why did FAUL introduce a variation of the
Marshal Model with 4 screw frame?”
IMHO and as mentioned before this is probably another area
of better use of stocks of 4 screw frames plus flat guidance screws. If you look
at the serial number there is the F-prefix present and it is in the same range
as the 3rd and 4th variation Cavalry Model. One could
argue this is a short barrelled Cavalry Model!
WDN/September 17, 2009
© 2007 Wolf D. Niederastroth