Details for Item # 16951		Go to JoeSalter.com +
Prototype Colt Lightweight .38 Super Pistol		Sold
	Maker: Colt Model: 38 Super Caliber/Gauge: .38 Super

Serial # 10000LW. Bright excellent bore. This pistol was sourced out of the Hartford area of Connecticut and is a .38 Super with a steel slide and alloy frame. The left slide is marked as shown on page 18, figures no. 3-8 in "Colt's Super.38" by Douglas G. Sheldon. The right roll mark is as shown but is misaligned. The hammer is the round Commander type. The slide unit is mounted on a non-standard production Colt alloy frame with the factory hand stamped serial number "10000 LW";obviously a set aside toolroom number. The left trigger bow shows a downside faced "E" inspectors mark and the Colt verified proof mark; the frame shows no other markings. The grips are factory installed with a double Colt gold medallion. The background information on this unusual piece is as follows: it came from the town of Weathersfield, the home of a number of Colt executives; unfortunately, the source of this unique piece was a widow who had no background information. The pistol came with an older 1951 Colt instruction sheet for the Colt .38 automatic, together with a Colt screwdriver. Our joint speculation is that this pistol was an "In House" piece from the period when Colt was developing light weight handguns and it is our opinion that the reason for the two gold medallions was to readily identify the pistol as a project piece. Our basic research indicates that Colt routinely used multiple "0" serial numbers for prototype and special purpose guns; an example of this was the January 27th 1997 sale of Colts at Butterfield and Butterfield Auctioneers; a number of handguns from the Colt Engineering Archives vault were sold. Some examples were: Cobra SN M 70,000; Cobra F 80,000; Agent H 90,000 Delta Elite 10 SS 0001; serial # 010009 and serial # 0001SE. There is little if any doubt that this pistol, SN 10.000LW, was another prototype or special project piece. In this instance, the pistol was either sold or transferred to a Colt official and is now being offered for sale for the first time. An exceptional piece for the Colt automatic, 1911 or .38 Super collector. FFL