May 7, 2024 The Paul Friedrich Collection of Firearms & Gold Rush
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
According to the Colt Factory Archive letter, this gun left the factory as a .38 Colt with a 5" barrel, blue finish, pearl grips, and factory engraving with James Gleason monogrammed on the back strap. It was shipped to George R. Porter, Colt Firearms, Hartford, Connecticut, for presentation on May 28, 1914, in a shipment of one gun. In the remarks, the letter states that Mr. Porter was an executive of Colt at this time. Evidently, this was a presentation piece, but we have no explanation as to Mr. Gleason's identity. There is also a letter from Witherell's stating that James E. Gleason was the nephew of William Gleason, who worked at the Colt Factory and started his own machine shop in 1865. It turned into the Gleason Works and the Gleason Corporation. They manufactured metalworking tools and machines like lathes and planers. Colt Firearms most likely bought equipment from them. It comes in an original Colt box that is numbered to a different gun. The box has the correct end labels. The gun has a foliate engraving pattern with a punch dot background. There are also some geometric designs on the left side of the frame. The pearl grips have early deep dish Colt medallions. CONDITION: This gun retains virtually all of the original high polish blue finish. The grips show no chips or cracks. They are very brilliant pearl. Bright and shiny bore with sharp lands and grooves. Box is solid with some edge wear.
Paperwork
Documentation, Factory Letter Copy