Colt Model 1900 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Colt factory letter. The letter states this pistol was shipped from Colt to Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk & Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 2, 1900. The pistol has the distinctive combination rear sight/safety, early knurled spur hammer, sixteen grasping grooves milled in the rear of the slide and nickel-plated seven-shot magazine. The right side of the slide is roll-stamped "AUTOMATIC COLT/CALIBRE 38 RIMLESS SMOKELESS" in two lines ahead of the ejection port. The left side of the slide is roll-stamped: " "BROWNING PATENT"/PAT'D APRIL 20. 1897" in a two-line block followed by: "COLT'S PATENT FIRE ARMS MFG. CO./HARTFORD. CONN. U.S.A." in two lines. The encircled Rampant Colt trademark is stamped behind the grip serrations on the left side of the slide. The serial number "222" is roll-stamped on the left side of the frame above the trigger guard bow. The bottom of the magazine floorplate is roll-stamped: "PAT'D SEPT.9.1884". The slide, barrel and frame have the Colt high polish commercial blue finish. The trigger screws and pins are fire blued and the hammer and sight/safety are color casehardened. The two piece walnut grips have a varnish finish. The sight/safety, spur hammer and grip serrations on the rear of the slide are found only on early production Model 1900 pistols. The Model 1900 was the first Colt automatic pistol; only about 3500 pistols were manufactured. Excellent, early, examples like this pistol are rare.

Very fine-excellent. The pistol retains nearly 95% of the factory refurbished high polish, commercial blue finish. The blue finish on the top of the slide is thin and the slide has some light high point wear. The frame and barrel have nearly all of the finish intact. Most of the fire blue is present of the trigger, screws and pins. The sight/safety and hammer have 98% of the casehardened finish intact. Nearly all of the nickel-plated finish is present on the seven-shot magazine. The slide and frame markings are perfect. The grips are in excellent condition and retain nearly all of the varnish. This is an attractive example of a first year production Colt Model 1900 Automatic Pistol. Provenance: The William Gerber Collection.