POTD: “Uncle Kit Carson’s” Colt SAA – The Showman’s Sidearm
Sam.S 05.23.25
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! This 1900-manufactured Colt Single Action Army revolver chambered in .41 Colt carries its provenance literally engraved upon it. The backstrap bears the inscription “Uncle Kit Carson”—permanent evidence of its connection to one of the most colorful characters in Wild West show history. The revolver features the standard one-line barrel address, the circled Rampant Colt trademark, and clipped blade front sight typical of the period. Its smooth ivory grips and accompanying floral-tooled double-loop russet leather holster complete the theatrical presentation that characterized early 20th century frontier reenactments.
What makes this Colt historically significant is its owner—Oran Ardious Woodman (1870-1957), who fabricated an elaborate frontier identity as “Uncle Kit Carson.” Born in Illinois long after the real Kit Carson’s death, Woodman cultivated increasingly wild tales about his supposed frontier experiences that newspapers uncritically reported as fact. By the 1930s, Woodman was a staple at rodeos, traveling shows, and tourist attractions throughout the Southwest, always appearing in his distinctive buckskins with this very Colt at his side. Contemporary newspaper accounts describe him “cherishing his sixshooter and Bowie knife” while recounting impossible tales of frontier danger.
This revolver is more than a firearm—it’s a tangible artifact of America’s complex relationship with its Western heritage, where entertainment, myth, and history combined to create the enduring frontier legend we recognize today.
“Archive of Wild West Showman ‘Uncle Kit Carson.’” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4094/3032/archive-of-wild-west-showman-uncle-kit-carson. Accessed 12 May 2025.
