Tracking the history of a pistol

[Annette]

My dad gad a pistol handed down to him and handed it on to my son. As I remember the story he told it was used in Oklahoma by a a cousin gunfighter James Bristow. Is there any way to track that gun?

[Tman]

Sounds tuff as there usually isn't a paper trail with firearms passed down through the family, I tried to find out when my grandpas WWII Colt 45 was assigned, etc and could not find any information besides, this range of serial numbers went to soldiers, this to generals etc.  I think the only way your going to be able to trace that one back is by talking to family that have "heard" the history and assuming that what they "heard" was correct.

[Annette]

Thanks, That's what I was afraid of, but I guess it doesn't matter a lot. Dad may have dreamed it all up just for the fun of it he was kind of a jokester..I always wondered why a gunfighter would use a single shot 22....LOL