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View Full Version : Gotta Love Those Colt Letters

Dave Noreen
03-26-2022, 03:15 PM
Gotta love those $100 Colt letters!! Finish -- Blue, Type of Stocks -- Wood!!

105507

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/85/1155/factory-engraved-gold-inlaid-colt-model-1883-shotgun

The top-lever and trigger guard were probably blued when the gun was new.
Garry L Gordon
03-26-2022, 07:09 PM
I'll bet there's 80 bucks tied up in the letterhead.:)
Ken Hill
03-26-2022, 07:55 PM
What is the $150 of enhancements? A lot of money in 1897.

Ken
Dave Noreen
03-26-2022, 08:42 PM
What is the $150 of enhancements? A lot of money in 1897.

Ken

The fine engraving, gold inlays, nicer wood and fancier checkering.

105515

105514
Ken Hill
03-26-2022, 08:55 PM
Dave,

As you pointed out, the letter leaves out a few details.

Ken
Milton C Starr
03-26-2022, 09:42 PM
I was going to make a post the other day about this.

Parker letter -gives you a mini biography and all sorts of interesting and neat details.

Colt letter- according to our records your gun is indeed made out of some sort of wood and some sort of steel... probably.
Wayne Owens
03-26-2022, 11:20 PM
I guess they are all similar. This one has a little more detail and at least lists the grade.
Josh Loewensteiner
03-27-2022, 06:53 AM
This gun was sold at Poulins in 2015. It has been offered at least one time since this auctioneer.
Daryl Hallquist
03-27-2022, 08:30 AM
Shouldn't the Factory Letter have specified Extra Plain wood ? My Grades 1, 1 1/2, and 2 all have much better wood and combs with much more definition. I'd guess that the stock is newer than the rest of the gun.
Dave Noreen
03-27-2022, 10:07 AM
I suspect you are right, that stock didn't come out of the factory at Hartford. My Grade 1 has nicer wood and the letter a previous owner got does list the "flat matte rib."

105517

105518

105519
Dean Romig
03-27-2022, 10:58 AM
The stock looks like early DelGrego work. I wonder if they would have worked on a Colt...





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Daryl Hallquist
03-27-2022, 11:54 AM
I have pictures of that gun from two different periods, all within the last decade or two. One has all of the gold in place, and the other is missing the gold like the RIA picture. Not sure if this means anything, but found it somewhat interesting.
Alfred Houde
03-30-2022, 04:08 PM
Sometimes, Colt would provide a courtesy letter to the museum on a specific artifact if we asked. We used them to help verify or strengthen the artifact record file.