Elmer Keith almost single-handedly pioneered modern sport handgunning. His notions of gun and cartridge design, felt even to this day, were first manifest in his No. 5 revolver, perhaps the most widely recognized custom revolver ever made. The original gun, largely the work of R. F. Sedgley, was built in 1928 and debuted in the April 1929 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine. Over seventy years later, Bowen Classic Arms has recreated this timeless classic. This reproduction is the most faithful and authentic known, thanks to considerable research and study of archival material. It is rendered in the best quality to very high standards of fit and finish.

Based on a United States Patent Firearms Flat-top Target model, the top strap was welded up and remachined in the No. 5 style. Suitable Bisley parts were modified to fabricate the distinctive Keith grip frame. Front and rear sights, the base pin and unique lever base pin latch were all painstakingly fashioned from bar stock just for the occassion. The custom barrel is of Douglas material. The USPFA .44 Special cylinder has been refluted and received the traditional black powder chamfer.

Dan Love executed the Gough-style engraving in excellent form. Paul Persinger fitted and carved the glorious ivory grips with their Mexican Eagle motife. The entire gun was hand-finished and burnished, then carbona blued by Doug Turnbull. For additional information, please see the special-order sheets indicated in the ‘Special Order’ section of the general catalog.