Collector Colt. Mexican army 1902

L

Lavan

New member
Just had a customer bring in a 1902 Colt .38 auto with Mexican crest on slide. He says it is rare. Thinks it is over $100,000. Has turned down $10,000.

Anyone familiar with this variant? Is it that rare? Has no finish nor any grips but is decent metal surface.

He says only 7 known.
 
"He says only 7 known."

I wonder what Colt historians say about that being a fact or fiction. Mexico doesn't sound like the place for Colt to find prospective sales, I would think more likely to be Europe. I would be wary of this one.
 
As a start I suggest looking up the serial number in "The Government Models: The Development of the Colt Model of 1911," by William H. D. Goddard (available from "Man at Arms" magazine). It contains a transcription of Colt's factory ledger for just about every Model 1902 ever sold, including date and destination of shipment.

BTW, I have heard but cannot confirm that a Colt's 1902 authenticated as having been one of 200 sold to the U.S military for trial use recently brought $9,000. This, to me, would be a more desirable provenance than a pistol shipped out of the country, however few the latter.

HTH.
 
There is no finish on the gun and the pitting affects the Mex crest uniformly with the rest of the gun. Ser # is 30180 (as I remember) so it fits as one of last M1902's made.

If it was for Mex army, it would be early for them as 1905 was the date of the Revolution and when they started their own coinage as Estados Unidos.

Apparently, the reason for scarcity was that most were used for crowbars in the ensuing years and many were used with .38 super and blown to bits.

This one is clean and no dings. I think the guy is gonna put it up at Butterfield's anyhow.
 
(Lavan--I'm now where I'm able to take a look at Goddard's book, so FWIW I can go ahead and pass along some info from it.)

Colt's Military Model of 1902 serial number 30180 is listed in the factory shipping records, as transcribed by Goddard, page 184. The records in this range are approximate, but 30180 would be in one of the following three shipments of 1902 Military Models: 100 pistols shipped on 8/5/1907, 100 shipped on 8/10/1907, and 98 shipped on 8/16/1907.

All three shipments went to A. Combaluzier, Mexico City, for delivery to the Ministerio de Guerra y Marina. An additional 100 1902s were shipped to Mr. Combaluzier on 8/28/1907. His name appears fairly often in the shipping records, and I guess he was Colt's rep or agent south of the border.

Coincidentally, I saw a 1902 Military of about the same date in the local gunshop the other day. It retained most of its original finish as well as the original grips. The owner of the shop liked it so much that he kept it for himself! He was kind enough to let me admire it, and I admitted to being a bit envious. He didn't say how much he paid for it.



[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited June 30, 2000).]
 
Hmm, not being a collector of high-end Colts, I may be wrong. But, yes, considering that condition plays a major role in collector value, I'd say he should have taken the $10,000 and left the scene as fast as he could run. ;)
 
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