Police confiscation auction find: Colt 1908

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  • mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    -I'm an auction whore but I steer clear of police confiscation auctions as they're usually filled with junk. But I got a notification of a WW1 Webley flare pistol in a Texas police confiscation online only auction. That piqued my curiosity. Lots were already closing so I decided to take a look in the catalog.
    -Got a shock when I found three early Colt autos. Double shock when two of them turned out to be gems! The first was a 1903 Pocket Hammer with original high polish finish and hard rubber grips. There was a scratch on the frame near the hammer pin but that was the only blemish. It sold first at the knock me over with a feather price of $490, which included the vig and FFL processing fee.
    -The second Colt to go was a well worn 1903 Pocket Hammerless. This one sold at $450 OTD which was an OK price considering the rough finish. A shooter for sure if the bore was good.
    -The last Colt was a 1908 Pocket Hammerless. Very nice original high polish finish but had a cracked right grip and aftermarket mag. With intact grip and original mag this is a $1200 pistol IMHO. It was at $340 when I threw my last minute bid at it and got it for $150 more. With shipping and all fees I'm probably around $650 delivered. Add $150 for a correct mag and maybe $75 for a right side grip and I'm still sub $900 invested.
    -She showed up today and is all I hoped for and more. That high polish finish is in VG condition and the fire blue finish on the safety, trigger, extractor, etc is very strong. Bore needs a light scrubbing but I cannot see any pitting, looks good!
    -Friend somd_mustangs put me on to a proper mag so I'll see if I can't snag it. Then just need the right grip. Won't be easy as this style grip wasn't made for long. But luckily the 1903 and 1908 share the same grip so that helps.
    -Been on a Colt lucky streak lately! Lord knows what the back story is as to how these pistols found their way to a police auction. Bet it's a doozy.
    -I'll apologize in advance for the photos as I'm still struggling to find the right lighting for these high polish Colts. It's not like there's been much natural lighting to work with!
     

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    Jul 1, 2012
    5,712
    Glad it lived up to expectations. You don't find them that nice very often, especially the 1908.
    The bores are usually worn/pitted so sounds like you lucked out there too!
    The "C" grip will probably be hard to find but I've seen 'em on our favorite online flea market.
     

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    Great find, I also really like your photography.

    Thanks! I still think MilsurpDan and somd_mustangs both take better photos using natural lighting. My property is so heavily shaded with oak, maple and walnut trees that I don't have that option. Maybe one day I'll break down and take a photography class, learn something about lighting and all the ins-and-outs of my digital SLR. Lord knows I'm not using the full potential of it.
     

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    Absolutely gorgeous! Great find and a great deal. Best of luck finding grips and a mag!

    Thanks! Magazine I secured quickly with help from friend somd_mustangs. So that's scratched off of the search list. The grip though, that's gonna be a slog. But I'll find one eventually. Until then the original will have to do. Besides, I've seen much worse in hard rubber grips.
     

    LKGMADMAX

    Active Member
    Sep 9, 2017
    151
    I've owned quite a few Colt pocket hammerless pistols both 1903 and 1908 models over the years, you've landed a nice one for the money. I love the high polish finishes from Colt. Once you correct the grip panel and magazine you'll have a real keeper!

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
     

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