Rifleman Q & A: Cattle Brand Colts

by
posted on December 4, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
cattl.jpg

Q: I saw a unique Single Action Army at a gun show recently. It was gold-plated and completely engraved with cattle brands. All the owner of the gun could tell me was that it was a “cattle brand Colt.” Can you tell me about this type of engraving or its history?

A: Generally, a cattle brand Colt refers to a Single Action Army (SAA) that has been given full-coverage engraving that depicts a multitude of cattle brands, usually on a punch-dot background.

Full cattle brand coverage is also found on other types of firearms, including double-action revolvers and semi-automatics, as well as on shotguns and rifles. However, due to its western motif, it is primarily associated with single-action revolvers.

Cattle brand guns reportedly originated sometime during the 1930s with Texas engraver Cecil Coe “Cole” Agee (1901-1955). Although he also engraved guns with the more commonly seen scrollwork patterns, Cole Agee’s unique West Texas cattle brand designs were extremely popular with lawmen, western movie stars and collectors, and, due to their scarcity, are highly desirable today.

Unfortunately, it is not known how many cattle brand Colts Agee engraved (estimates range from as few as 15 to as many as 50), as he rarely signed his work. I know of only four Agee-engraved guns that have been authentically signed, two of which are shown in the late Jink Howard’s privately printed book, Cole Agee: Texas Engraver, and none of them “signed” in the same manner. However, as an identifiably distinctive style, Agee was known for often engraving the inside curve on the SAA grip strap, an area most engravers leave blank.

Naturally, all of Agee’s cattle brand SAAs are First Generation Colts, as Second Generation guns didn’t exist back then. Agee was not above substituting Christy barrels or cylinders on single-actions to be engraved, and was also known to change calibers. Many of Agee’s cattle brand guns were gold-, silver- or nickel-plated and often sported carved ivory steer-horn stocks.

Around 1950, Agee began teaching his cattle brand technique to another engraver, Weldon Bledsoe, who continued the cattle brand patterns after Agee’s death, creating approximately 300 to 400 First-, Second- and Third-Generation cattle brand Colt single-actions well into the 1980s (Agee is sometimes said to have used the “2 lazy 2 P” brand as his signature, but this is more often found on Bledsoe-engraved guns). Bledsoe, in turn, passed the technique on to David Wade Harris (dwharris.com), who, along with a number of other master engravers, carries on the cattle brand style that Cole Agee made famous.

--Rick Hacker

Latest

BATFE Report Dissects
BATFE Report Dissects

ATF Report Highlights Trends In NFA Sales, Manufacturing Numbers & More

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently released a 61 page “Firearm Commerce Updates and New Analysis” report. Figures included are up to and including 2023, the latest available.

Preview: Bastinelli R.E.D. Fixed Stone Washed

Designed for operators in the French National Police’s elite RAID tactical unit, the Bastinelli R.E.D. Fixed Stone Washed knife is also eminently useful for everyday carry ...

Mossberg Introduces SPX & Professional Models To 940 Pro Tactical Line

Mossberg has expanded its popular 940 Pro Tactical shotgun line with SPX and Professional models, with each adding a slate of upgraded components and accessories designed to enhance the shotgun's capabilities.

Preview: Streamlight Sidewinder X

This high-output, multi-fuel, military-style light with a tilting head is perfect for hunters and home defenders looking for more than just a handheld light...

The Armed Citizen® July 4, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

A Guide To Double-Stack 1911s

The 2011 brings double-stack capacity and modular upgrades to the 1911 platform, but not every wide-body 1911 out there earns that name.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.