Colt New Pocket Revolver w/ Orig. Flap Holster

This is a nice little Colt New Pocket revolver with a desirable antique serial number.  Serial number is in the 8,800 range.  Made in 1896.  2.5" barrel. Caliber is .32 Colt.  6-shot cylinder.  Blued finish with checkered hard rubber grips.  Barrel has the early set of patent dates from 1884 and 1888.  See photo.  Left side plate has the rampant colt with a circular logo around it that reads "COLT'S NEW POCKET". The frame and barrel have tiny British Proofs.  The gun comes with its original British style leather flap holster which is in very good condition.  This most likely belonged to a constable or military officer.

The New Pocket was made from 1893-1905 with 30,000 units produced.  Only 11,900 qualify as pre-1898 antiques and while that's not what collectors would consider a particularly small number, they are for some reason unusually hard to find.  In 1905, the New Pocket design was improved and re-designated the Model "Pocket Positive".  Sharing the same serial range with the New Pocket, an additional 130,000 Pocket Positives had been produced when production ceased in 1940.

Overall condition grades to NRA Antique Excellent with 90% original blue on frame and barrel.  There is a pair of initials lightly scratched into the left sideplate.  Cylinder shows 80% original blue.  Gripstraps retain 40-50% thinning original blue.  Hammer, trigger, and screws have much of their original fire blue intact.  Sides of hammer retain most of the original bright polish which is beginning to haze over to gray and a light mixture of brown patina.  Action is in very nice working order.  Very Good Bore.  Grips are Excellent overall with no cracks.  There was a small chip on the leading corner of the left-hand grip about half the size of an pencil eraser which has been expertly repaired. Checkering is sharp with nice Colt Logos at the top of each panel.  A really nice example of a Colt Double Action revolver with a great holster.  This one has been in my personal collection for several years now and it's among the best antique Pocket DA's I've seen in quite some time.

Item# 1279

SOLD