November 3-4, 2017 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/4/2017
Serial No. 141 was shipped with blued finish, stocks not listed, to J.F. Schmelzer & Sons Arms Company of Kansas City, Missouri on July 20th, 1903 in a shipment of six guns. The first Model 1903, serial No. 6, was built on March 22nd, 1903. Two more were shipped on June 19th, 1903; two on July 7th, 1903; and four on July 8th, 1903. Regular shipments, including serial No. 11 and up, began on July 18th, 1903; so this gun was manufactured on the third day of regular production shipments. Has all the early features including the longer 4" barrel. Left side of the slide is simply stamped with the Colt's patent Hartford, Connecticut one-line address. It is interesting to note, that this simple one-line address is not pictured in the book entitled "Colt Pocket Hammerless Automatic Pistols II" by John W. Brunner; they list the left slide marking on page 14 from the beginning of production as a two-line Colt address with the Browning patent until 1904 at serial No. 10000 in which a second Browning patent date was added. After 1906, numerous two-line addresses were listed, but nowhere in this book can an example be found with this one-line address. Slide is numbered to gun underneath rear portion, indicating this gun was assembled with an earlier pre-production slide that was numbered and assembled with this weapon, making this pistol not only one of the earliest known but possibly with a unique slide marking. The left rear of slide has the Colt pony in circle that is proper for era, no verified proof. This right side of slide is stamped "COLT AUTOMATIC" in large lettering on the first line and "CALIBRE .32 RIMLESS SMOKELESS" on the second; the book, on page 16, shows the earliest pistols "AUTOMATIC COLT" on first line, they show "COLT AUTOMATIC" being stamped on slide in small lettering in late 1920 at serial No. 36000. This slide accommodated a 4" barrel, therefore it could not be a slide from 1920, when the barrel was changed to 3-3/4". Gun has the early type barrel bushing with smooth curve and large plunger as seen in figure 22 on page 20. Has the first style front and rear sights, the early high polish fire blue diamond checkered slide lock safety, the early eight feather arrow on right side of slide (correct; page 17). The magazine in this pistol is a later third type, tempered, pre-war with seven view holes and crimped base stamped "CAL. .32 COLT". Guns ports and real Mother of Pearl grips with no logo, not listed on letter; were most likely after-market. Has early first style diamond checkered magazine release. This early model has the release pin on bottom of slide, small serrations and large font serial number. Smooth trigger, slide lock and extractor are fire blued, retaining nearly all of that finish. Pistol itself retains nearly 100% of the expertly restored blued finish. We compared the fonts on both the left and right sides of this pistol to various other pistols through production serial No. 450000, and no other example of this style of font can be found, neither in books or other examples. Explanation: possible early prototype slide that was numbered and fitted to gun 141 on third regular day of shipments. It may be an extremely early manufactured gun that was numbered and shipped later.