4.2 American Beauties – FRIENDS OF THE CENTAURE SOCIETY

Chapter 4 – Fiction, Odds and Ends

4.2 American Beauties

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4.2

4.2.1

4.2.1.1

4.2.1.2

American Beauties

U.S. Custom Engraving Art

The Art of Horacio Q. Acevedo Sr.

A New Hope – Charles L. Starks

4.2.1

U.S Custom Engraving Art

Explains Mitch Shore, Sigmund Shore’s son, who together with William B. Edwards started the U.S. Centaure hype back in 1960: “During the early 1960s my dad and Bill (Edwards) had a number of Centaures engraved by famous U.S. restorer and noted gunsmith Tommy Haas for their personal collection”.

As we know today it was not Thomas Haas who did the work presented below and elsewhere in this website, but his then associate Horacio Q. Acevedo Sr. Acevedo was a gifted gunsmith, jeweller and engraver. Haas had spotted this talent in Mexico during the 1950s and brought him and his family into the U.S.A. and his shop in Indiana.

Acevedo pushed it even further and demonstrated his gunsmithing and engraving art by colterizing a couple of Centaures for Edwards and Shore: All F.A.U.L. factory markings, serial numbers and the acceptance stamps of the Liège Proof house were removed. The screws are nicely domed like you find on Sam Colt’s presentation Colt Armies from the 19th century. The advanced Colt students will note that the barrel marking was changed to the Colt New-York U.S. America address. It now reads

– ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA –

like you find on the trio below.

4.2.1.1

The Art of Horacio Q. Acevedo Sr.

In March 2011 a helpful U.S. FROCS #96 Buddbudd shared information about his sensational find at a Midwest sale: A consecutively numbered pair of Cavalries 1st variation 1st sub-variation #888 with matching stock and #889, and Civilian #ENG 23.

$D:\#Colterized 888+889 Cavalry 1V CW USA\1-RYH5A-K-F2-H-1.jpg$

4.2.1.1_1 Buddbudd’s discovery (top down) : Cavalry #888, shoulder stock #888, Civilian #ENG 23, Cavalry #889

The three pistols and the stock were colterized – hence their serial numbers without the prefix – and stylishly engraved. To top this all the heavily engraved Civilian – center pistol above – was traditionally finished. Her cylinder, however, was not blued as one would have expected but case color hardened.

$D:\#Colterized 888+889 Cavalry 1V CW USA\2-022_22.jpg$

4.2.1.1_2 More details of the engraving art of Cavalry #888, the matching stock and Cavalry #889

I like to entertain you now with a few more pictures of Cavalry #888, her matching shoulder stock and close-ups showing remains of the silver plating of the brass furniture of pistol and stock.

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\13-001_1.JPG$

4.2.1.1_3 Right side view of Cavalry #888 and matching shoulder stock: Note details of engraving of frame, barrel lug and yoke

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\02-012_12.JPG$

4.2.1.1_4 Close-up of side of #888: Note details of engraving of cylinder and frame

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\06-008_8.JPG$

4.2.1.1_5 Close-up of engraving on left recoil shield and head of wolf on hammer

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\07-007_7.JPG$

4.2.1.1_6 Visible S/Ns of #888 on barrel lug, frame and trigger guard in Colt fonts: Note extending pair of 4th screws

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\03-011_11.JPG$

4.2.1.1_7 Colterized barrel marking – ADDRESS COL. SAML COLT NEW-YORK U.S. AMERICA –

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\08-006_6.JPG$

4.2.1.1_8 Butt view of pistol: Note S/N stamped in Colt fonts

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\04-010_10.JPG$

4.2.1.1_9 Engraving of backstrap

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\11-003_3.JPG$

4.2.1.1_10 Top view of yoke of shoulder stock #888

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\12-002_2.JPG$

4.2.1.1_11 Bottom tang of shoulder stock: Note font used for S/N

$D:\#Colterized 888 Cavalry 1V 1SV DF USA\10-004_4.JPG$

4.2.1.1_12 Engraving on butt strap of shoulder stock: Note S/N

This seemingly custom engraved Civilian 2nd variation with the visible serial numbers removed and the front sight custom „squared“ was discovered at a U.S. internet auction house in March 2015. According to the description the grips are buffalo horn.

$D:\CNSN Civilian 2V XX USA\1-DTZ231A-R-F2-H.jpg$

4.2.1.1_13 Right side view of Civilian: Note unusually case color hardened engraved cylinder, custom „squared“ front sight, 1st version hammer spur

$D:\CNSN Civilian 2V XX USA\1-DTZ231A-R-F1C-H.jpg$

4.2.1.1_14 Left side view of Civilian: Note proof marks on barrel lug „embedded“ in engraving, centaur logo on frame has been removed for the engraving task

$D:\CNSN Civilian 2V XX USA\1-2072.JPG$

4.2.1.1_15 Barrel marking „1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“

$D:\CNSN Civilian 2V XX USA\1-2071 C (4).JPG$

4.2.1.1_16 S/Ns removed

Below set of a custom engraved Regular New Model Army (RNMA) 2nd variation 1st sub-variation #2211 of 1963 production was discovered at a U.S. auction house in January 2020. She came custom cased in English fit with red interior and accessories.

$D:\#2211 RNMA 2V 1SV XX USA\6-528_1.jpg$

4.2.1.1_17 RNMA #2211 was offered custom cased with accessories and original carton

$D:\#2211 RNMA 2V 1SV XX USA\5-528_6.jpg$

4.2.1.1_18 Barrel marking reads „1960 NEW MODEL ARMY“ CENTENNIAL TRADE MARK

$D:\#2211 RNMA 2V 1SV XX USA\3-528_4.jpg$

4.2.1.1_19 Close-up of right side of pistol, beautiful colors case hardening of frame and hammer

The factory cylinder roll-engraved with the Centaure proprietary naval scene was left unchanged but backstrap and triggerguard got silver plating in Civilian model fashion.

$D:\#2211 RNMA 2V 1SV XX USA\4-528_5.jpg$

4.2.1.1_20 Close-up of left side: Note details of engraving, „embedded“ proof marks on barrel lug, centaur logo on frame

The front sight was custom „squared“ similar to the unnumbered Civilian above. This RNMA is one of a series of these variants between serial numbers #2200 and #2220. Apparently, they all received a similar stylish embellishment. Known serial numbers are #2200, #2211, #2212 and #2220.

$D:\#2211 RNMA 2V 1SV XX USA\2-528_3.jpg$

4.2.1.1_21 Right side view of pistol: Note details of engraving, custom „squared“ front sight

In 2016 U.S. auction house Rock Island Auction Company (RIA) of Moline, IL sold English fit mahogany presentation case with dark maroon velvet lined interior containing the custom engraved Centaure Cavalry 1st variation 1st sub-variation #F612, accessories and separately the matching shoulder stock.

$D:\Colt 1861 Navy\1-1860 Army - Fluted Cylinder - SN F612 - Shoulder Stock - Engr - CCH Cyl - X01.jpg$

4.2.1.1_22 Custom cased and engraved Cavalry #F612 with accessories, matching shoulder stock (picture courtesy Dennis Russell, Marietta, GA. U.S.A.)

The revolver features vine and leaf scroll work coverage on barrel, barrel lug, top of the cylinder chambers, frame, backstrap and triggerguard. Each side of the hammer is engraved with the classical wolf’s head motif. Silver plating on backstrap and triggerguard in Civilian model fashion.

$D:\Colt 1861 Navy\1-1860 Army - Fluted Cylinder - SN F612 - Shoulder Stock - Engr - CCH Cyl - X02.jpg$

4.2.1.1_23 „Clinical“ right side view of Centaure Cavalry #F612 (picture courtesy Dennis Russell, Marietta, GA. U.S.A.)

The embellishment of the detachable shoulder stock is similar to the style used on the pistol. In addition to the engraving, it includes silver plating on yoke, latch housing, upper and lower tangs and butt plate.

$D:\Colt 1861 Navy\1-1860 Army - Fluted Cylinder - SN F612 - Shoulder Stock - Engr - CCH Cyl - X03.jpg$

4.2.1.1_24 „Clinical“ right side view of matching shoulder stock #F612 (picture courtesy Dennis Russell, Marietta, GA. U.S.A.)

The long 4th pair of screws are mounted on each side of the frame of the revolvers. There is an interesting accessory included with this set, namely a pair of domed cap screws. These can be used to replace the longer shoulder stock screws. They replicate the screws fitted during the 1860s by Colt. However, when these latter domed short screws are mounted to the revolver the shoulder stock cannot be properly secured to the revolver. This switch of 4th screws turns Cavalry 1st variation 1st sub-variation #F612 into a 1st variation 2nd sub-variation, a cute little trick.

4.2.1.2

A New Hope – Charles L. Starks

Custom engraved Centaure is RNMA 1st variation 2nd sub-variation #1299 of 1961 production is a piece of engraving art from Charles L. Starks of Payette, ID, U.S.A. He embellished her with trumpet vine backed with relief and beaded background in 2013 for U.S. FROCS #101 Thumper.

$D:\#1299 RNMA 1V 2SV BPPGW USA\2-Dsc01003.jpg$

4.2.1.2_1 Charles L. Starks engraved RNMA 1st variation 2nd sub-variation #1299 of 1961 production

Here are a few of Starks’ notes:

„I have chosen not to reverse image the design. In other words what you see on the right hand side is not what you see on the left.“

$D:\#1299 RNMA 1V 2SV BPPGW USA\6-Dsc00978.bmp.jpg$

4.2.1.2_2 Left side of RNMA #1299 with head of wolf engraved in Hammer in 19th century Colt fashion

Some thoughts by Starks on the Centaure itself, for those who might be interested to taking on such a project.

„To date I have been very impressed. The steel cuts well as long as ones tooling is very sharp and you keep it so. This is not uncommon when cutting hardened or quality steel.“

„However, I will say that where normally a dull tool will begin to plow or cut poorly, with the Centaure, you get no such advance warning. It will simply snap the cutting edge or blow out the beadler leaving having you to completely re-work the geometry of the graver or rebuild and face the beadler.“

$D:\#1299 RNMA 1V 2SV BPPGW USA\1-Dsc01001.jpg$

4.2.1.2_3 Another left side view of RNMA #1299: Note embedded proof marks on the barrel lug and centaur logo on frame

„Thus, I found out I had to double my normal sharpening practices.“

„Overall, while trying at times, I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to work on this Centaure“

„I sincerely hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.“

That we do Mr. Starks, that we do indeed.

Updated January 6, 2024