DEAD MAN’S COLT

A RARE-GUN CLIFFHANGER ABOUT A POLITICIAN, A WISE GUY AND LOS ANGELES LAWMEN

Gary Paul Johnston

It was one of Colt’s most successful semi-automatic handguns and was arguably well ahead of its time in 1903 with a total production of 577,215 in .32 ACP caliber alone, plus 137,000 in .380. With the Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in question bearing serial number 135322, it was a special presentation pistol made in 1912 and sold to an Ed. F. Wise and shipped to Browning Brother, Ogden & Salk Lake City, Utah, on November 7, 1912. Beautifully embellished, probably by Colt’s master engraver Cuno Helfricht, the pistol came with Colt mother-of-pearl grips with Rampant Colt escutcheons appearing to be gold plated. gold plated. Banner-engraved on top of the slide is “JNO. M. HAINES” (John Michiner Haines 1863-1917), a Republican contender who became Governor of Idaho from 1913 to 1915.…

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Tactical Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, November - December 2023

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