Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a gun I am dubbing the Coffin Colt. One of the rarest Colt Single Action Army variants – a .45 ACP chambering shipped to a U.S. Rifle Team member who knew exactly what he wanted for competition shooting. Lieutenant C.E. Coffin received this revolver on August 3, 1931, when he was already making his mark as a Distinguished Marksman. Coffin was a Naval Academy graduate who dominated rifle and pistol competitions in the late 1920s, winning gold in individual rifle matches and silver in pistol competitions. When he wanted a single action revolver, he didn’t order .45 Colt – he specified .45 ACP.
Only 44 First Generation Single Action Army revolvers were ever made in .45 ACP, almost all shipped to military personnel after 1924. The reasoning was simple: servicemen could get all the .45 Auto ammunition they wanted through military channels, but they preferred shooting the legendary Single Action Army over the standard-issue Colt automatics. This revolver proves that point perfectly.
What makes this example even more interesting is the FitzGerald-style trigger guard modification. Someone removed the front portion of the trigger guard for faster trigger access – a technique popularized by FBI agent J.H. FitzGerald for quick-draw work. The modification wasn’t done at Colt, but the quality suggests it was professional gunsmith work, possibly done for Coffin’s competition shooting.
Lieutenant Coffin went on to serve with distinction in World War II, earning the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star during the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns. But in 1931, he was a young officer who understood that the best ammunition availability meant nothing without the right gun to shoot it through. This rare .45 ACP Single Action Army represents that perfect marriage of military practicality and shooting sports excellence.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“First Generation Colt Single Action Army .45 ACP Revolver.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4095/166/first-generation-colt-single-action-army-45-acp-revolver. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
Writer | TheFirearmBlog
Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.
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