George Lewis amassed a collection coined by one fellow collector as, “…one of the classic Colt collections of all time,” but in the face of such lofty praise Mr. Lewis started out like most of us – he had no idea what he wanted to collect and essentially bought what he could afford.

George Lewis Collection Begins

The late Mr. Lewis cites the beginning of his journey slightly before 1960, when he would’ve been approximately 25 years old. Also like most nascent collectors he didn’t have a particular genre in mind when began truly collecting in earnest. He once wrote,

“As time went on, I found that I was drawn to the little Colt derringer, not because it had an interesting history or because it was beautiful or because there are many variations and models to obtain, but mainly because my pocketbook could afford the derringer, and I could compete with the best of collectors.”

In a twist that Mr. Lewis no doubt appreciated during his lifetime, his collection now proudly showcases all the attributes he couldn’t consider earlier in life: interesting histories, beauty, and numerous variations. From his first collecting days until his passing in 2020, Mr. Lewis took an area of collecting considered ordinary in previous decades, and showed it to be extraordinary.

Despite Mr. Lewis’ extremely relatable circumstances as he began collecting, he was able to take advantage of a rather fortunate situation. At that time, Colt derringers and most pocket pistols were largely unnoticed by gun collectors as a whole. Again, in Mr. Lewis’ words,

“The Colt derringer in those years was greatly overlooked by advanced collectors. Most collections included only a sample of a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd model colt derringer, not going after any special type or variation. Though not plentiful, there were some mint derringers and a very few of the rare types to be found.”

Not only was Lewis collecting Colts long before it became popular to do so, he was doing it in a genre that very few others were pursuing. Add to that the fact that most advanced collectors of the day focused on acquiring rare variations over high-condition examples, but Mr. Lewis sought out examples that exemplified both. Expanding on that value, he also saw the importance of period-correct accessories, cases, even scooping up correct cartridge boxes and “skin packets.”

For 65 years, much of it without the advantages of electronic communication, George Lewis collected. He attended most major gun shows, scoured the auctions, advertised in major periodicals such as Gun Report and Shotgun News, traveled the country, and like many collectors of the day, built a trusted network of friends and connections with their ear to the ground.

Highlights of the George Lewis Collection

Throughout his collecting career, Mr. Lewis naturally branched out into other areas of collecting, specifically pre-war Colts, but never strayed far from his love for the little Colt pocket gun.

There are nearly 50 items in the initial offering of the George Lewis Collection available in the August Premier Firearms Auction, most of which are true to his original interest in small handguns primarily used for self-defense, be it in the suit pocket of a 19^th century urbanite or concealed beneath a frontier town faro table.

Several of his most high-value firearms have already been showcased in a related video, but this article will highlight other items for the sake of variety. Collectors rightly interested in Mr. Lewis’ guns are strongly encouraged to look at both.

Case Hardened Colt New Lines

As the majority of Mr. Lewis’ offerings in this auction consist of Colt New Line revolvers, it only seems right to begin with them here. Also, while starting with three examples in a single “highlight” might seem like cheating, it saves the author from featuring all three examples separately and thus exposing his own bias toward the combination of deep Colt bluing and vibrant case hardening.

A fantastic line-up of Colt New Line revolvers.

Top to bottom, they are lots 244, 245, and 243 in the auction, and even for their similar condition and appearance, they still embody the variety of the genre as well as Mr. Lewis’ collection.

Beginning at the top with the largest of the trio is the Colt New Line chambered for .38 centerfire. Made for the English market in 1879, it bears British proofs and its oak presentation case shows a  “Colt London Agency” label inside its lid. The case, lined in navy-toned velvet, houses 10 unfired cartridges, a cleaning rod, and the attractive revolver.

A 90% gun, it is winsome with its smooth rosewood grips, vibrant case colors on the frame, bright nitre blue small parts, and the distinctly etched “COLT NEW 38” on the left side of the barrel. Its pre-auction estimate of $4,500 - $6,500 seems a bargain for any collector interested in the red-hot field of high-condition, 19^th century Colt revolvers.

A excellent condition, early production (SN 1109), Colt New Line in .32 cal with factory box.

In the middle, and also with a 2 ¼-inch barrel, is the Colt New Line chambered in .32 rimfire. It bears the early serial number 1109 in the unusual location on the barrel's left, with the Colt two-line address on the barrel's top, a rarely seen placement of those markings. With matching numbers, rosewood grips, and a rare correct factory box plus cleaning rod, this high condition Colt checks several interesting boxes for collectors. A remarkable beauty for its pre-auction estimate of $3,000 - $4,500.

For the smallest of the trio, there's a LOT to appreciate on this little Colt.

Lastly, we come to serial number 2227 located at the bottom of the photograph. The smallest chambering of the grouping, .30 rimfire, also bears the smallest barrel, measuring just 1 ¾-inches. The checkered hard rubber grips feature a unique floral scroll at the bottom which is seldom seen, as is the short barrel length. The crisp barrel etching appears to be the best of the trio. Acid etched markings are a fragile feature on any firearm. To see them survive at all, let alone in this outstanding level of condition is the type of thing that collectors quickly notice. Hence its presence in the famed William Locke Collection as well as Mr. Lewis'. Its estimate of $4,000 - $6,000 seems a small price to pay relative to other, similarly conditioned Colts.

Colt Open Top Pocket

The Colt Open Top Pocket is one of Colt’s first two cartridge revolvers, both of which began production in 1871. It isn’t hard to see its influence on the eventual New Line which would begin production just two years later. Chambered in .22 short and .22 long, the Open Top Pocket initially sold for $8, substantially more than similar .22 caliber revolvers of the period. The example offered this August (shown top in the following photo) from the Lewis Collection was manufactured in the first year of production, and even after over 150 years, this little pistol is a LOOKER.

High condition Colts sometimes come in small packages.

Rich Colt bluing, a silver finished frame, a nitre blue that wouldn’t look out of place in a Caribbean seascape, and all ending in a pair of smooth, biscuit-toned antique ivory grips, it’s the stuff Colt dreams are made of. The added bonus is the rare factory box with its bright red lettering advertising the small revolver as “Colt’s Seven Shot Pistol” – a surprising reminder of its capacity despite its diminutive size. Finding this level of condition with a $6,000 - $8,000 estimate seems unfathomable.

Remington Over/Under Derringer

For all the previous talk of Mr. Lewis’ love of Colt derringers, this is the first derringer on the list, though it isn’t a Colt.  This is one of Remington’s classics, this one known as the “Double Derringer” or the “Model 95.” These small O/U Remington derringers are one of the Old West’s most recognizable, especially after being drawn from garter belts or dealers’ vests on countless TV shows and movies.

Lot 1197: Attractive Factory Engraved Early Production E. Remington & Sons Over/Under Derringer with Desirable Blue Finish

This little beauty not only bears the desirable blue finish, but also factory engraving. Add to that some rosewood grips, glowing nitre blue parts, and the relatively beefy .41 RF chambering and you’ve a good looking derringer that’s ready for the poker tables. It’s also ready for its next world class collection. Much like the Parsons’ Armies, this little Remington can also boast the illustrious pedigree of being housed in both the collections of Mr. Greg Lampe AND George Lewis.

Honorable mention goes to the factory engraved, nickel plated Remington O/U in lot 201 for being clean as a whistle, factory engraved, pearl gripped, and with an inscription on its backstrap that seriously bumps its cool factor.

Wexell & DeGress Grips

It’s another Colt Open Top Pocket, and it’s exceptional. The elephant in the room is the ornate and highly desirable Wexell & Degress grips which adds a wonderful bit of contrasting texture to the otherwise mirror-smooth original nickel finish.

Lot 254: Exceptional Factory Engraved Colt Open Top Pocket Spur Trigger Revolver with Highly Desirable Wexell & DeGress Grips and Factory Box

The grips are finished in silver, featuring a lion motif on the right side and flowers on the opposite. It’s a factory engraved gun, and it too comes in a well-preserved box with labels that read “NICKEL PLATED” and “FULL ENGRAVED.” That original nickel is gorgeous, the nitre blue hammer stands out a mile away, and the grips add the right amount of flash for this very stylish Colt.

Colt 1877 DA revolvers

So many decisions for what to feature last. Ultimately, the Model 1877 revolvers were chosen, not only because of their sheer condition, but to show that the Lewis Collection did venture beyond the pocket Colts. Also, Colt Lightning revolvers have brought significant sums in our last two Premier Auctions ($176,250 and $323,125), so the two shown below present excellent opportunities to obtain a popular model that is climbing in value, each of which has been housed in an elite Colt collection.

This superb Colt Thunderer is sure to create some rumbles at auction.

The first is a near-pristine Thunderer manufactured in 1907. It’s a 97% gun with a dark, warm color palette that wouldn’t be out of place during a summer rain shower at daylight’s waning golden hours. Black, hard rubber grips with crisp checkering, sepia-toned case hardening, dark nitre blues, and a barrel absolutely bathed in inky blue finish. Even though the back of the hammers is well-known to have bright nitre blue on the Colt 1877 models, in a unique twist it is the bright mirror-polished sides of the hammer that provide the eye-catching accent on this Thunderer. It was shipped to San Francisco in its year of manufacture and comes with a 1970 Colt factory letter addressed to Mr. Lewis – he had been in possession of this Colt for at least half a century! This is a fine opportunity to obtain a fine Colt that’s fresh to market. As per Mr. Lewis’ penchant for fine arm accessories, it is accompanied with a correctly labeled factory box. Such an attractive Colt comes with an equally attractive estimate of $7,000 - $11,000.

It's not difficult to imagine what this Colt 1877 Lightning looked like when it left the factory in 1877.

However, the second 1877 ups the ante even higher. It’s like reading a list of everything Colt collectors seek. It’s a first year production model, it’s an ejectorless Sheriff’s Model, the 3 ½-inch barrel is a sought after length, the one-piece checkered hard rubber grips are extremely scarce, the barrel has acid etched markings which remain ridiculously crisp, there are matching serial numbers, it letters, it has a correct factory box, and on top of all that the condition is through the roof. The nickel finish from its muzzle to its bird’s head grip is superb, and if there’s one value quality in collecting above all others, it’s this: condition, condition, condition. This is an absolute stunner and could reach well above its $8,500 - $12,000 pre-auction estimate.

Mr. George Lewis is what the collecting fraternity calls a “lifer.” For over 65 years he build his impressive collection. He focused on pre-war Colts, but never turned a blind eye to those pieces that both grabbed his interest and met his lofty standards. On the forefront of Colt collecting, he also was a founding member of the Colt Collectors Association, a 50-year member of the Texas Gun Collectors Association, as well as a member and contributor to the prestigious American Society of Arms Collectors.

His is a collection that all fellow collectors can aspire to, and the best way to start is by putting an item from Mr. Lewis’ esteemed collection, into your own.

Click the image to see all items in the George S. Lewis Jr. Collection as appearing in the August Premier Auction.