Colt Model 1908 Hammerless Pocket Automatic Pistol with Colt factory letter that lists the caliber as "380/C" and the finish as "blue". The letter further states that the pistol was shipped to "Capt. Rex Applegate" at "Training Headquarters, Camp Ritchie, Maryland" on February 22, 1943. Rex Applegate was the author of "KILL OR BE KILLED" (1943) and one of the foremost experts on hand-to-hand combat. During WWII he served with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and trained OSS agents at Fort Richie, Maryland. Applegate also trained President Franklin Roosevelt's bodyguards. Applegate worked closely with British hand-to-hand combat expert William Fairbairn in the development of close-quarter fighting techniques for Allied forces. This pistol has the desirable Colt pre-war commercial blue finish on the slide, frame and barrel. The barrel chamber is factory polished. The two-piece full checkered walnut grips have nickel-silver Colt medallions. The 7-shot magazine has the early, two-tone blue finish. The slide has the early style round top rear sight and half-moon front sight. The right side of the slide is roll-stamped "COLT AUTOMATIC/CALIBRE .380- HAMMERLESS" below the ejection port. The left side of the slide is marked with the two-line Colt Hartford address and 1907 and 1903 patent dates ahead of the slide serrations with the Rampant Colt trademark behind the serrations. The left side of the frame is stamped with the serial number. The left side of the trigger guard bow is stamped with a block "P" above the Colt "Triangle/VP" proofmark. "68" is stamped on the right side of the trigger guard bow. The bottom of the magazine floor plate is roll-stamped "CAL. 380/COLT".

Excellent. The pistol is all original and retains 97% of the Colt commercial blue finish. Wear is limited to a few scattered and very minor age spots. All of the markings are extremely crisp. The magazine retains 90% plus of the two-tone finish. The grips are in very fine condition with some flattening of the checkering on the lower edges. This is an excellent example of a commercial production Colt Model 1908 Hammerless Pocket Automatic Pistol owned by one of the foremost World War II OSS/Presidential Security experts on hand-to-hand combat.