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left side of the frame bears the U.S. Navy inventory number “U.S.N. 70”, these numbers corresponding to the serial numbers, ran from U.S.N. 1 to U.S.N. 250. The left side of the trigger guard has the “B” inside a triangle proof and the right side has the iconic trident navy inspection mark. There is an import mark inside the magazine well. The pistol is fitted with a blade front sight and notch rear sight in its original “sight safety” configuration, a checkered spur hammer, a pair of smooth walnut grips, and a full nickel magazine marked “PAT’D SEPT.9.1884” on the base. The accompanying factory letter states the pistol was sold to the U.S. Government and shipped to General Store Keeper, Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, on October 17, 1900 with a 6 inch barrel in .38 caliber, blue finish and type of stocks not listed. This was a fifty gun shipment.
LOT 1286
Outstanding and Rare Documented U.S. Navy Contract Colt Model 1900 “Sight Safety” Semi-Automatic Pistol with Factory Letter - Serial no. 1070, 38 Colt auto cal., 6 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Shipped on 19 October 1900, this pistol falls in the second shipment of Model 1900 “sight safety” pistols sent from Colt to the U.S. government general storekeeper at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Colt produced only 250 of these scarce pistols under contract for the United States Navy, all of which were shipped in the fall of 1900. These automatic pistols were the pinnacle of firearms technology at the time and were ordered by the navy to test the feasibility of the automatic pistol as a seafaring weapon. The left side of the slide carries the two-line “BROWNING’S PATENT” marking and the two-line Colt address arranged in two blocks, with the circled Rampant Colt following behind the serrations, which are at the rear of the slide. The right side of the slide is marked with the “AUTOMATIC COLT/CALIBRE 38 RIMLESS SMOKELESS” caliber designation. The right side of the frame is marked with Colt’s production serial number, which ran from 1001 to 1250 for the contract. The