June 9-10, 2017 Premier Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/10/2017
According to the factory letter, this pistol was shipped to V L & A on September 5th, 1908 in a shipment of ten guns. Colt Model 1903 was very popular with the Japanese officers. Numerous examples were purchased directly by them between 1919 and 1939. Many more were shipped to the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Java, and were subsequently confiscated by Japanese authorities. There are no Japanese markings on the gun itself, but it has an old wooden ID tag attached to trigger guard that was rounded up at the end of the second World War. Early features include the type one barrel bushing, high polish finish with Nitre blue small parts, pony at rear of slide in full circle, first style Colt black composite grips with "COLT" with scalloped edges and pony in full circle, rounded first type sights and first type full blued seven hole magazine with high polish plain base. It was well known that the military officers purchased their side arms privately or obtained them through confiscation, a rough translation of the four character wooden tag is as follows: first character is "Mizu" or "Sui" which is water; second character is "Naga" or "Cho" meaning length; third character is an "O" or "Ko" which means small, and fourth character is "Hara" for field. Mizu-Naga family name or Sui-Cho title or nickname; and the latter two characters meaning O-Hara or Ko-Hara which is a family name. A very similar holster with an embroidered Japanese Army star can be found on page 289 in the book "Japanese Military Cartridge Handguns 1893-1945". Holster has a place for an extra magazine pouch and two handwritten Japanese characters on outer body. Pistol is all original and retains approximately 60% of the original factory high polish blue with traces of Nitre blue on trigger, extractor, rear sight safety and pins. Interesting historical Japanese Army World War II related Colt.