Chapter 4 – Fiction, Odds and Ends

4.2 American Beauties

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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