Colt Firearms Collection
Preserving our American history

Edited by this owner from a Colt Forum 2008 posting

Pre-War boxes which were used, probably from the early 1900s (not sure when picture boxes ended) were black or dark maroon/burgundy color and all subject to fading to different hues.  They had glued-on end labels listing the model, chambering, barrel length, finish and stock material. The lids were hinged to the backside of the box.  The interiors were light buff to coarser, darker buff in later years. Guns with special features, like engraving or special sights, had an extra sticker identifying the feature.  Collectors will find that that factory cut and pasted barrel sized and caliber stickers on original labels.  This is pretty common to find.

Extra feature add-on box labels (Target and Patridge sights)

End label with factory altered barrel length

The end labels were blue (two shades depending on vintage, with earlier being a lighter shade of blue, almost a royal blue, and later having a darker, almost navy blue) with white lettering. Nickel guns usually had a white end label. Serial numbers were written by hand on the bottom of the box, usually in lead pencil but sometimes in grease pencil. These dark maroon boxes were used briefly Post-WWII/

Later version with dark blue and white lettering

Beginning in about 1948, the next style of box was a dark-brown, pebble-grain, hinged-lid box with a dull gold end label with green lettering (changed to black near the end of the run for this style), identifying the model, chambering and barrel length. The interior is buff. Stickers identifying special features and nickel finish were glued on the end of the lid. Serial numbers were usually written on the bottom in orange (probably red) grease pencil. I think this style was in general use up until 1950-1951, but I have seen later guns with that style of box.

Yellowed Colt revolver data labels

Dark brown pebble-grain hinged-lid

Beginning in about 1952, the switch was made to the finest box ever used by Colt, the medium-brown, leather-grain, hinged-lid box with the green interior. The end labels are dull gold with black lettering identifying the model, chambering, finish and barrel length. Stickers identifying special features and nickel finish were glued on the end of the lid. I have never seen one of these boxes with an original serial number on them anywhere. I think this style was in general use up until 1954-1955. While I have not seen later guns in these boxes.

Next came the telescoping lid, wood grain box with the yellow end label with black lettering. Label logos and the like varied during the time this style was in use. The label identified the model, chambering and barrel length. The interior is dark green. Stickers identifying special features and nickel finish were glued on the end of the lid. Serial numbers are written on the bottom in black marker or grease pencil. This style of box was in use into the early 1960s.

I think the next style was also a wood grain telescoping-lid box, but the wood grain was darker and had a bit of texture to it that the earlier wood grain box did not have. The end label is yellow with black lettering identifying the model, chambering and barrel length. The interior is black, as is the entire lower portion. Serial numbers were usually written on the bottom in white grease pencil. I think this style was used until the mid-1960s.