 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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