This is an exceptionally nice very late "last" Colt Model 1900 sight safety ever manufactured by the Colt factory. His fact is documented in an accompanying letter from Doug Sheldon; a noted authority on Colt Automatic pistols, that through his research of the Colt factory ledges this pistol (SN 3286) is listed as being the very last regular production Colt Model 1900 pistol ever manufactured with the original "Sight Safety" installed by the factory. All remaining pistol were manufactured with the new modified second model safeties. The Model 1900 is very significant as Colt's first production automatic pistol and John M. Browning's first successful automatic pistol design. Colt only produced approximately 3,500 of these pistols from 1900 to 1903. This pistol was manufactured in 1902 and it is still equipped with the original (unaltered or modified) rear "sight safety" with sixteen gripping serrations on the front of the slide. The pistol had the high polish Colt commercial blue finish with niter blue barrel and trigger, casehardened rear sight and hammer and nickel seven round magazine marked "PAT'D SEPT 9 1884" on the bottom. The right side of the slide is marked: "AUTOMATIC COLT/CALIBRE 38 RIMLESS SMOKELESS" ahead of the ejection port and the two-line, two-block "BROWNING'S PATENT" markings are present on the left. The serial number is located above the trigger guard bow on the left side of the frame. Fitted with checkered hard rubber grips with "COLT" in a banner at the top and the circled Rampant Colt in the center.

Very fine with 80% plus of the original blue finish overall with edge and high spot wear overall with some light scratches on the sides of the slide with some blue loss on the front and tops edges of the slide with thinning and blue loss on the grip straps. The hammer retains 95% of it case colors overall with fading on the face of the hammer. The grips are also in excellent condition with nice distinct checkering and markings overall with just a hint of minor handling marks. A very nice high condition and historically significant Colt Model 1900 Sight Safety automatic pistol.