Historic Hollywood Legend Gary Cooper Owned Colt Officer's Model Target Heavy Barrel Double Action Revolver

This Colt double action revolver is directly linked to legendary Hollywood icon Gary Cooper, accompanied by a Kerr’s of Beverly Hills, California sales receipt made out to Robert Rippchen (Kerr’s gunsmith). The revolver, along with a Smith & Wesson .357 Registered Magnum no. 650380, are both noted on the receipt as “From the estate of Gary Cooper.” The Registered Magnum was prominently featured in our September 2017 Premier Auction where it realized $57,500 (lot 1251), supported by additional documentation including a signed letter from Kerr’s store manager Gerald Knight. This Colt was very likely one of 26 guns Kerr’s received on March 27, 1962, shortly after Cooper’s passing.

Over a 35-year career, Gary Cooper starred in 84 feature films as a leading man and earned Academy Awards for his performances in Sergeant York and High Noon. The latter, often considered his greatest role, was ranked by the American Film Institute in 2008 as the second greatest American Western ever made. Cooper’s tall, stoic screen presence came to embody the quintessential American hero, a figure of integrity and courage. His portrayals of Will Kane, Lou Gehrig, and Alvin York all appear on AFI’s list of the 100 greatest screen heroes, and he remains firmly placed among AFI’s 25 greatest male stars of classic Hollywood. His biographer Larry Swindell wrote: “Thought of Gary Cooper conjures a great era of the movies when they were part of a national unity that now somehow eludes us.” Cooper passed away on May 13, 1961, just weeks after receiving the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement.

The revolver itself was manufactured in 1940 and is equipped with target sights and a pair of period custom smooth target walnut grips, Cooper’s own personal modification that adds to its uniqueness. Additional features include the Rampant Colt stamp on the side plate, a two-line barrel address on top, and model/caliber designation on the left side. Matching serial numbers appear on the frame and crane.