This is an excellent example of a William Gough factory engraved Pre-Woodsman pistol that was manufactured in 1917. William Gough's shop was located in Utica, New York, and Colt frequently sent guns to him for engraving and would be sent back to the Colt factory for finishing. Gough's engraving style is very similar to Wilbur Gahn's. The accompanying factory letter states the pistol had a .22 caliber 6 1/2 inch barrel, wood stocks furnished by W.H. Gough and "green" finish, which indicates the pistol left the factory without finish for engraving, when it was shipped with two other guns on January 6, 1917 to Schoverling, Daly and Gales of New York City for W.H. Gough. This pistol was also the property of Russell "Russ" Arden Hodge, 09/12/1939, who was a world record holder in the decathlon (1966-1967), an Olympic competitor in 1964 and a silver medalist in the 1971 Pan American Games. In 1963 he competed in the Pan American Games in Sao Paulo finishing 4th in the decathlon. He finished 9th in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, set the world record in the decathlon in Los Angeles, July 1966, with 8,230 points, a record which stood until May 1967 and was a silver medalist at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, with a score of 7,314. Hodge finished 4th in the AAU National Championship in 1963 and 1964 and 2nd in 1965 and 1966. Hodge did not compete at the Olympics after 1964 due to injuries before the trials in 1968, 72 and 76. Hodge's mother Alice Jean Arden Hodge was also an Olympic competitor finishing 9th in the high jump at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. She was an accomplished athlete in High School earning 10 letters and won Amateur Athletic Union national championships in the high jump in 1933 and 1934. Alice also played semi-professional basketball with the traveling team the Long Island ducklings and its while doing that she met her husband Russell V. Hodge in 1936. Russ' grandfather was a well known inventor and held over 400 patents. This pistol has a floral scroll engraving with a matte background on the rear sides and muzzle end of the barrel, the sides and top of the frame and slide, with a checkered back strap, and a zigzag design bordering the front strap, trigger guard and front underside of the frame. The back of the frame is engraved with the distinctive Gough's bullseye. The top of the barrel is marked with the two-line address/1903 patent date with a decorative design extending toward the muzzle. The left side of the slide is marked "COLT AUTOMATIC/CAL. 22 LONG RIFLE", the Rampant Colt is behind the serrations, and the serial number is marked on the front strap. The back strap has the oval checkered panel showing the pistol was designed for standard velocity ammunition. The front sight is elevation adjustable and the rear sight is adjustable for windage. Two-tone Colt marked magazine and fitted with walnut grips with a checkered diamond pattern in the center. The pistol comes with a black leather Bradley Grimes Co. flap holster.

Excellent. The pistol retains 98% original blue finish with some muzzle wear, thinning and minor spotting on the barrel, and some minor overall edge wear. The left side plate has been engraved and refinished at some point after the pistol was factory engraved. There is a very noticeable difference in the engraving. The grips are very good with some minor dents and scratches, and crisp checkering. The markings and engraving are crisp and clear. Mechanically excellent. The holster is very good with some scuffs and scrapes, and tight stitching. A very nice William Gough factory engraved Pre-Woodsman pistol owned by an American Olympian and one time decathlon world record holder.