The history of the Colt Buntline Special revolver is murky at best. This pistol is renowned as the one used by Wyatt Earp. Historians and experts disagree over the accuracy of this, but the legend is well known.
Reportedly, dime store novelist Edward Zane Carroll Judson (E. Z. C. Judson), who used the penname Ned Buntline, ordered five special .45 Colts. He had five inches added to the standard 7 ½ inch barrel. The Buntline Special or "Colt Buntline" was a single-action revolver similar to a Colt Peacekeeper, but with a 12-inch barrel that combined speed with the accuracy of a rifle. These guns were presented as gifts to local law enforcement in Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman, Charlie Bassett and Neil Brown in 1876. The gifts were given to the men for helping to add “color” to his stories. According to Stewart Lake’s interview with Wyatt Earp, the Buntline special was Earp’s favorite gun. Unfortunately, it disappeared.
Although there is little evidence to confirm whether or not Wyatt Earp actually received one of these special Colts from Buntline, documentation does reveal that his Colt did have an unusually long gun barrel. Additionally, Colt did make special orders at the time, and the company records were not always precise. Serial numbers for 31 Colt frames that could have accommodated larger barrels have been identified; the serial numbers range from 28,800 to 28,830. Many believe that some of these frames were used to create the original Buntline Specials.
Stewart Lake’s biography of Wyatt Earp, released in 1931, made the legend of the Buntline Special common knowledge. A popular television show “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp”, featuring Hugh O'Brian, appeared in the 1950s. Stewart Lake was a consultant for the show and the Buntline Special played an important role. The popularity of this television series and its featured firearm led to a mass release of the second generation Colt Buntline Special in 1957.
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The second generation of Colt Buntline Specials is much easier to trace. The words “Colt Buntline .45” appear on the barrel, replacing the standard “Colt Single Action Army .45” identification mark. Colt Buntline Specials are usually found in blue, but approximately 65 were done in nickel. The serial numbers can be found on the barrel before the cylinder pin. The size of the Buntline Special’s barrel makes it distinctive. Other companies, such as Luger, made their own Buntline Specials and these should not be confused with Colt Buntline Specials. The second generation had either 12-inch or 16-inch barrels. Roughly 4,000 were released between 1957 and 1974.
After a two-year lapse, Colt introduced the third generation of the Buntline Special in 1976. The thread of the barrel on the third generation is different from the second, as is the hammer profile. The cylinder and ratchet hand were redesigned and the full-length cylinder bushing was removed. Colt no longer makes a Buntline Special, but the second and third generations can be found, and many are in useable condition.
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