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   SERIAL NUMBER 10001
    LOT 3422
Excellent and Historic Documented First Civilian Colt Model 1892 New Army
Double Action Revolver, Serial Number 10001 with Factory Letter - Serial no. 10001, 38 Long
Colt cal., 6 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This is a high condition, unaltered example
of a civilian Colt Model 1892 DA Revolver built with U.S. Army inspected parts and is historically significant as being the first serialized civilian Model 1892. The U.S. Army purchased the first 8,000
Model 1892s manufactured by Colt in two contracts in the 1 to 8,000 serial number range. The Model 1892 was adopted by the Army to replace the Colt Single Action Cavalry Model revolver and were the standard U.S.
sidearm during the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection until the need for a harder hitting cartridge
than the .38 Colt led to the re-introduction of the .45 Colt Single Action Artillery Model revolvers and the development
of the Colt Model 1911 Automatic pistol. Only a few hundred of the 8,000 U.S. Model 1892s escaped from being upgraded
to Model 1894 configuration, and knowledgeable collectors estimate that around a dozen unaltered revolvers have survived. After completing the Army contract Colt moved forward with commercial production. For some unknown reason Colt skipped the serial numbers in the 8000 to 10000 range and instead started civilian production with serial number 10001. Offered here is that first civilian production Model 1892, no. 10001. Civilian production eventually ran up to about 15000 before a small Navy contract was fulfilled and then production skipped in serial numbers to around 60000. This revolver
was built with left over U.S. Army marked parts, a common practice at Colt as the factory had a long history of using surplus military parts to build civilian arms. Also, the revolver has
not been altered. As a civilian production arm it would have escaped the callback for the Model 1894 upgrade. The revolver has the high polish blue finish on the barrel, frame and cylinder.
The screws, trigger and top surfaces of the hammer are nitre blue, and the sides of the hammer are polished bright. The top of the barrel has the Colt Hartford address above the 1884 and 1888 patent dates. The left side of the barrel is marked “COLT D.A. 38.” The underside of the barrel is stamped with a “P” U.S. proofmark, the assembly number “1”, and the “RAC” ordnance sub-inspector mark for Rinaldo A. Carr. The assembly number “1” is repeated on the inside of the frame, crane, cylinder latch, and rear cylinder face. An additional “P” is marked on the rear cylinder face. Additional “RAC” marks are found on the rear
cylinder face, left edge of the frame and bottom of left grip panel. The cylinder latch is also stamped with a “K” Colt inspection mark. As an Army marked inspected frame, the frame correctly lacks the Rampant Colt that was generally found on civilian examples. Although the “RAC” marking is present on the bottom of the left panel, the grips lack the final inspector mark on the left panel as found on the 8,000 Army contract revolvers. Both
grip panels have the number “1216” written in pencil on the back. The accompanying factory letter confirms the 6 inch barrel in .38 caliber, blue finish and “wood” stocks. The letter also states the revolver was shipped to Captain V. McNally, U.S. Ordnance Department (address unavailable) on December 29, 1892. This shipment was for 3 guns. Tradition states that this revolver was found in a wall during the renovation of a Philadelphia home.
CONDITION: Excellent. The barrel and frame each retain 95% original bright high polished blue finish. The grip straps retain 80% thinned original blue. The cylinder retains 75% thinned original blue. There is a series of dings behind the trigger guard. 85% original nitre blue remains on the hammer, trigger and screws. The grips are also excellent with a slight chip at the heel (right panel) slight edge wear and some minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent. This is certainly one of the finest and most historic of the early Colt swing out DA revolvers we have
cataloged. Its condition and historical significance of being the first civilian Model 1892 revolver make it unmatched in early Colt DA collecting. A must have for the serious Colt collector.
Provenance: The Milan J. Turk Collection.
Estimate: 7,500 - 15,000
LOT 3423
Rare U.S. Navy Colt Model 1889 Double Action .38 Revolver - Serial no. 627,
38 LC cal., 6 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. The U.S. Navy contracted 5,000 of the Colt Model 1889 revolvers and out of the 5,000 there were 4,637 that were
returned to Colt for conversion to the 1895 cylinder and locking system. This particular revolver is one of the 363 that escaped the conversion and remained unaltered. The top of the barrel has the two line address/patent dates (1884, 1888) marking. The rear of the cylinder is marked with a star, the letter “P”
and the assembly number “637” and the front cylinder face is stamped with the number “940” (These all correspond in an odd combination). The number “637” is repeated on the inside of the frame and crane. The underside
of the barrel is stamped with the numbers “637” and “940”. The butt is stamped “U.S.N./[anchor]/38DA/No/627/P/W.W.K./1889”. The left side of the frame at the rear is stamped with a Colt six-point rework star. The trigger guard is stamped with the letter “G” on the left side and a Colt six-point rework star on the right side for the factory
added hammer (notch cut top rear frame). Fitted with smooth walnut grips numbered to the gun.
CONDITION: Very fine as factory reworked. The revolver retains 70% factory blue finish with the balance a smooth brown patina showing holster wear on the barrel.
The grips are very good with a period added wood repair on the right rear panel and some scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically fine. One will look a long time to find another example of one of these U.S.N. M1889 Revolvers!
Provenance: The Milan J. Turk Collection.
    Estimate: 6,500 - 9,500
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