According to the included factory letter, this pistol was part of a 6-piece shipment to the Delta Hardware Company of Escanaba, Michigan, on January 16, 1948. Fixed sights, with the one-line Hartford address on the left side of the slide, and "COLT/SUPER .38/AUTOMATIC" on the right next to the Rampant Colt. The trigger guard is marked "T/VP" on the left and "2" on the right, with the serial number on the right side of the frame, a short milled trigger, thin checkered hammer, long grip safety, checkered thumb safety, serrated slide stop and arched mainspring housing, reinforced Colt grips and a blued barrel with a bright polished chamber. Included with the pistol is a matching hand-numbered Colt "black box", with a white-on-blue Super 38 label on the end, a red-on-white lid label promoting the then-new satin matte finish on the slide and grip frame, and an instruction sheet.

Near new in box, with 99% plus original blue finish, showing a few light cycling scratches on the lower areas of the slide, and some mild handling marks and edge wear overall. The grips are in equal condition, and the box shows some mild wear and tear concentrated on the edges and corners. Mechanically excellent. Provenance: The Doug Ellison Collection