Colt Firearms Collector

Oct. 25, 1884

Post Card from a customer requesting a Colt Fire Arms catalog

Eddie W. Shinkle, Chatham, N.Y.

July 30,1900

Order from Simmons Hardware for a Colt Revolver

038 4 1/2 'C.N.' (Colt Navy) Colts Revolver

Shipped to

Robt. McIntosh of Slater, Colorado

The Robert McIntosh collection: Tread of Pioneers Museum, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

1903 catalog showing all revolvers with .38 & 4.5 in. bbl.

Hibbard catalog showing the Colt Navy for $15

1912

Colt letter advising The Myers Hardware Co., Lexington, Va. there would be no charge for putting the revolver in shape

8 x 11, watermarked single page. Letterhead in use 1911 to 1922.

Colt Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co.

1928

Colt factory referral of a customer to Emmert Hardware, Hagerstown, MD.

This letter was written to a customer in West Virginia who was referred to Emmert Hardware by Colt Fire Arms about buying a Colt.  A small effort by a big company like Colt in 1928 during the Great Depression for a gun dealer in Maryland.

1928 More...

Colt's factory form letter request for catalog

Colt Patent Fire Arms letterhead, Form M128

Small Arms Division

 

The watermark on the obverse shows various divisions owned by Colt

This one related to 'NoArk'

1928

Communication from Colt's Fire Arms -  Electric Division to Smith & Wesson

Letter is not about firearms, but electric supplies.  S&W started a small water pump company during 1924 in Springfield, MA, and this communication is related to that venture

The watermark on the obverse shows various divisions owned by Colt

This one related to 'NoArk'

Letter from Colt's parts department advising an Oregon customer of a delay in mailing him a new parts list.  (The new Colt's separate parts lists started in 1929)

1930

Colt letter to Capt. 'Tex' Winchester,

a.k.a. Howard J. Knutson  about purchase of two of Colt's 'Heavy Framed' .22s with engraving and ivory stocks

Signed by H. M. Webster

Revolver image & other information

Kansas Journal article about Capt. Winchester, firearms marksman, his life and accomplishments

1931

A. F. Stoeger, Inc., N.Y. Dealer's communications (3) with customer Wm. Barnes, Mass., concerning purchase of two Colt pistols: Police Positive Special, .38, 4" barrel and Colt Official Police .38, 6" barrel, as well as discussion regarding not installing a sheared gold front sight.

Feb. 1932

Colt letter to Dr. L. B. Reed, about Colt's inability to supply a flat top sight for a .32 cal. automatic pistol

1934

Letter from Colt to Dr. L. B. Reed, regarding a catalog sent to him and engraving prices for various grades

Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co.

Feb. 1932

Letter announcing:

New Colt Embedded Head Cylinder for Officers Model, Police Positive Target .22s

New Service  Revolver chambered for .38 Special

"National Match" grade  .45 with Patridge sights

Fire Arms Division

Wanted: Any Colt factory communication with or from customers

June 1932 More...

Letter & envelope from Colt's Patent Fire Arms to an owner

Regarding parts for a .32 New Police revolver instructing him to order from a current catalog

 .32 Police Positive parts list

1932

Letter from Colt Fire Arms Division to dealers about a new embedded head cylinder; New Service in .38 Spl.; and the National Match .45

Fire Arms Division

1932

Colt letter to Dr. L. B. Reed concerning the .22 Woodsman's accuracy and number of rounds fired in an Australia shooting gallery and the Buffalo Police Department.

Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co.

1933

Colt communication with a customer about their New Service Target revolver. 

 Providing details and specifications about their new 6" barrel in addition to the regular 7 1/2" barrel.  Signed by Leonard C. Davis, Advertising Mgr.

 Fire Arms Division

1931-1939

Colt 's Fire Arms Division communication with a customer requesting a repair. 

Colt instructions required the arm to be shipped by Express instead of by mail. 

See Colt's 1865 Express shipping receipt below

June 3, 1865

 Adams Express Company paperwork

Dated 1865 for a package of merchandise from Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co. shipped to James Savage, Louisville, Ky.

1934

Colt communication with N.C. customer regarding nickel and bluing refinishing. 

 A price sheet was included.

1938

Letter from Colt to E. L. Caperton, San Antonio, Texas in answer to his question about his #2 Dragoon revolver and a Whitney revolver

A. L. Urlich signature

1939

Letter from an Ohio hardware company, Cussins & Fearn

Dealer contacting a Colt referral for a revolver.  Illustrates Colt's relationships with their dealers and customers

1940

Berlin, Germany receipt to Colt's Patent Firearms for a patent application continuation: '1933 Colt Automatic Firearm' filed in the Reich Patent Office in 1941 for 150 RM.

6 x 8.5 in., thin velum paper

Colt vigorously maintained patents in countries where it sold or produced their products.

A German receipt for the renewal of an 8 year patent (# 653.758), originally effective October 1, 1933. It was set to expire in 1941, but here was paid for renewal on October 10, 1940.  (Colt Forum)

1941, Feb. 20

Colt personal communication with N.C. customer

Contact regarding lack of a replacement hammer for a 'New Army Model' revolver and Colt's 1940 parts list with what was still available

1941, June 13

Colt personal communication with a Wis. customer.

Contact providing further evidence of Colt struggling with delivery of parts during the days prior to WW2

July 1942 More...

Colt's Pat. F.A. Mfg. Co

Envelope with hand-stamped war-time message

'Giv'em a Jolt with a Colt'

Form 116

1942 More...

Communication with customer about the Colt Woodsman pistol

Colt 1942 Letterhead

Small Arms Division

Dec. 1946

Colt discusses  'Handling the Handgun', four basic steps to better pistol shooting

Colt's details to help a customer identify an older model Colt Revolver

From: Wm. R. Henry, Sales Dept.

Small Arms Div.

Details sent to a customer who requested Colt to identify the customer's revolver

1947

Colt personal communication with a customer about identification of an 1860 .44 caliber Army percussion model revolver

The revolver is named by collectors: the Model 1860 Army Revolver or Round Barreled Army.  Variations of this model had an attachment whereby a shoulder stock could be used. 

Talk about customer service!  Wm. R. Henry, Sales Department of the Small Arms Division!

1955 Sept.

Colt Corporate Bulletin to dealers about price increase on spare parts and minimum charges

 One page, single side.

Colt's Patent Fire Arms MFG. Co.

'Corporate' business communiction

1960s

Colt Official Police Revolver broadsheet included with a letter to a NY City policeman

Single-side polished paper, Form 57-262, 8 x 11 in.  accompanied with factory letter

Corporate form letter from Colt congratulating a recent graduate of the City of NY Police Academy.  At least it is signed.

Colt's Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Co., Inc.

1979

Colt Industries 'press release' about the introduction of the AR-15 Sporter with collapsible stock and news about discontinuance of the 'D' frame revolvers

Full 5 page display

Corporate commutation with their dealers

1988

Colt .380 Cal. Pistols

Installation instructions for replacing a bent sear spring clip.  8.5 x 11 in., Form 380/SCC1 - 1/88

Colt Firearms

Corporate correction of a defective part

Comment on Colt Communications

As various corporate take-overs of Colt Fire Arms company occurred after WW2, the personal touch of a letter from a factory employee all but went out of existence.  Form letters became the norm.

Personal letters of the past  were replaced by 'directives' or 'notices' from the various divisions to the dealers, ignoring the personal customer communication seen in the 1930s.