• Burgundy cardboard craft box, “GREAT WESTERN” in silver letters:  Used from start to approx. serial GW8250 over 1954-55.  This box is frail, most survivors are tattered and taped.

• Tan faux leatherette cardboard box, Great Western Arms in gold letters, GW in Cadillac style coat of arms, green interior:  Used from approx. GW5000 to GW20600 over 1955-1960.  There are at least two different sizes for this box, one for the 4.75 and 5.5 inch revolvers, and then a longer version for 7.5 inch revolvers.  This box is very much like a tan box with green interior that Colt was using, and was probably ordered from the same supplier.  Note the tan box was impressed with Great Western Arms Co and a Cadillac style logo in gold foil lettering.  This lettering has rubbed off partially or entirely on most surviving boxes of this type.

• FerroCast / Venice box.  This box type is a mustard color, is corrugated cardboard with attached lid, and has cutouts around the cylinder and grip to cradle the revolver.  The lid says “Great Western Arms Company” and uses the GW over a target logo.  The logo artwork and fonts are the type FerroCast used when it operated Great Western Arms in 1957-58.  There were probably a few hundred run around serial 19000.  A few surviving examples have been seen.

• Blue cardboard craft box, Great Western Arms in gold letters, GW in Cadillac style coat of arms:  Used from approx. GW20600 to GW21250 in 1961.  It might be that this box was used solely for GW packaging / fulfillment operations done at E&M’s Ventura Blvd, N. Hollywood office.

• White corrugated cardboard box, Great Western Arms in blue letters, GW in Cadillac style coat of arms:   Used from approx. GW21251 to end (GW22250 or so).  It might be that this box was used solely for packaging / fulfillment operations done at E&M’s Whitnall Highway, N. Hollywood office.  E&M moved into this office in late 1963, and fulfilled Great Western’s last sales from there into 1964 when all GW inventories were completely liquidated.

Other Notes:

• Boxes had end labels which specified make, model, finish, and caliber. Most end labels have fallen off surviving boxes, as they do not seem to have been applied with a very strong glue.

• The build-it-yourself kit does not have its own box.  They were packaged with whatever box in use at the time, but did have their own instruction set.  These boxes may or may not have end labels, as Great Western’s end label practice was inconsistent.

• Most packaging efforts through the years made use of brown wax paper to wrap the guns or stuff the boxes.