 He
was larger than life, a flamboyant, charismatic and controversial
personality. Throughout his military career, General George S. Patton,
Jr. dared great deeds, and inspired the troops serving under his command
to achieve far beyond even their own expectations. He was the
quintessential warrior, patriot, and a brilliant military scholar. In
the words of his biographer, George S. Patton, Jr. had "a genius for
war." At a time when the world was in turmoil and threatened by the
forces of tyranny, Patton fulfilled his destiny. Today, America
Remembers proudly presents the General George S. Patton, Jr. Tribute
Revolver, honoring the distinguished career of this legendary American
military leader.
"I served under Patton" was the proud
boast of a select group of World War II veterans. And indeed,
having personally experienced such leadership did set Patton's troops
apart from other members of our Armed Forces. The fighting record
of Patton's troops is well-documented and they played a pivotal role in
securing victory in Europe.
 Patton's
Trusted Sidearm
Throughout his military career, General Patton had the opportunity to test
and use many different handguns. However, one of his favorite
sidearms was a .45 caliber Colt Model 1873 Single Action Army Revolver
with a 4 3/4" barrel. He acquired the pistol in 1916 while he was
serving with General Pershing in the Punitive Expedition seeking to
capture Pancho Villa.
This was no ordinary Colt. It was silver
plated, extensively engraved by Colt's chief engraver, Cuno Helfricht,
and was fitted with ivory grips carved with the intertwined initials
"GSP." This revolver today is proudly displayed at the General
Patton Museum in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Shortly after receiving the revolver,
George Patton had to rely on the revolver in a shootout with Julio
Cárdenas, Pancho Villa's bodyguard, and other followers of Villa.
It was May 14, 1916. Lt. George S. Patton was leading a caravan of
three automobiles on a journey to purchase food for the troops.
When they stopped at a ranch and approached the ranch house, the
Americans came under attack. George Patton fired back with his
revolver and later recounted the details to his father -- "I fired back
five times with my new revolver and one of them ducked back in the
house. I found out later that this was Cárdenas and that I had hit both
he and his horse."
The Tribute
Now, America Remembers proudly presents a handsomely decorated
museum-quality firearm tribute - the General George S. Patton, Jr.
Tribute Revolver.
In every phase of its conception,
design and execution, in every detail of its finish, we have held fast
to the goal of creating a proper and long-lasting memorial to a man who
was an inspiration to his troops during World War II and who achieved
remarkable success in North Africa, Sicily and in the final march
towards Berlin.
A
Superbly Crafted Legacy, Handsomely Decorated
The America Remembers General George S. Patton, Jr. Tribute Revolver
honors the memory of one of America's foremost fighting men. Each
revolver now available in this edition is produced for us by the master
craftsmen of Uberti, who have expertly created this classic firearm just
as they have created so many of the western classics since 1959, and
have established themselves as the premier maker of historical firearms
recreations. For decades, their craftsmen have combined modern
high-grade materials with the time-honored methods of finishing creating
exquisite, working reproductions of history's greatest firearms.
The family of General George S. Patton, Jr. has authorized the Tribute
and each revolver is polished and decorated by craftsmen specifically
commissioned for the Tribute by America Remembers. The Tribute
revolver is polished and decorated in nickel and the artwork is featured
in 24-karat gold with blackened patinaed highlights.
The recoil shield depicts General Patton in
a fleece-collared jacket during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of
1944. A masterpiece in its own right, the cylinder is emblazoned
with six portraits of General Patton - in his VMI cadet uniform; during
the Mexican border campaign; as a young officer in World War I; in his
tanker uniform during maneuvers; late in the war, going into Germany;
and postwar, in his 4-star overseas cap. On both sides of the
barrel are a banner and scroll inscribed with "General George S. Patton,
Jr." The hammer, trigger, base pin, base pin lock screw, action
screws, ejector rod head, grip medallion, grip screw and grip screw
escutcheons are all decorated with 24-karat gold. Grips are faux
ivory with an intertwined "GSP" monogram on each. On the bottom of the
grip frame is your revolver's own special and certified issue number,
from 001-500 attesting to the fact that it is one of an issue of only
500.
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