Guns International #: 103346792
Seller's Inventory #: 44

Category - Colt Pistols - 1911 Pre-45 - Colt Pistols

Category
Colt Pistols - 1911 Pre-45
Colt Pistols

Early COLT 1900 Olympic Gold and Silver medalist in Shooting

Description:
1)    Very Early Colt Model 1900 serial number 44.

2)     This pistol was shipped to Walter Winans who was a two time gold medalist and one time silver Olympic Medalist winner in 1908 and 1912.

3)     Apart from his American Olympic success, Walter Winans  was a noted author (multiple Winans books are included), a noted pistol shot (5 year NRA of Great Britain Champion) and a renowned sculptor, exhibiting 14 timestimes at the British Royal Academy. A Walter Winans bronze animal statue about 12" x 10" x 5" is also included.

4)    This lot includes the entire display that won 2nd prize at the Colt Collectors Assoc annual show in 2022.

5)    Expertly Refinished 

6)    Slide is numbered 431 with sight safety altered. Walter Winans received this early Colt Automatic serial number #44 with special target sights in a shipment of one on May 17, 1900.

7)  From Winans book, AUTOMATIC PISTOL SHOOTING, "This is the pistol of the future and the revolver has now to give place to it, just as the horse has to give place to the automobile for traction purposes. However, I do not like the sights of this Colt automatic... It is no use for practical shooting in bad light (mentions lack of safeties, grip angle. hammer, sights....) With these alterations. I think the Colt Automatic is the best automatic known."

8)  A shipment of one to Walter Winans in London per the included Colt Archive letter.
      Goddard's GOV"T MODELS pg 171, #431 slide was shipped July 7, 1900 to Browning in Ogden, Utah.
      Colt Repair Records lists #44 returned for alteration/repair and probably replaced the sights then refinished. 

9)   Reproduction Olympic Medals, bronze Walter Winans statue, Vanity Fair posters, other Olympic books and paraphernalia, my published article from the Rampant Colt magazine and of course this COLT Model 1900 #44 is included.

$50 shipping to your FFL or C&R if legal in your state and jurisdiction from my C&R. 

I follow all laws.
See my other early Colt autos.
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                    Colt 1900 Serial Number 44 to WALTER W. WINANS   By Theodore F Mayer

Do you know people who want to be the first to own an unproven, new-fangled firearm even if the operating system is brand new to the market? I know of one such gentleman, Walter W. Winans, the original owner of Colt’s Automatic Pistol serial number 44, referred to here as the Model 1900.
The Colt Model 1900 is called the Walker of Colt Automatics. It was the first commercially available automatic pistol manufactured in the United States, following the design of the genius inventor John Browning and the manufacturing brilliance of Colt’s Firearms Manufacturing Company. With a total of only 4274 Model 1900’s produced from February 1900 to May 1902, it is quite rare. Also, only 10% of the Model 1900 sight safety pistols were shipped to Colt’s London Agency, making this Model 1900 serial number 44 even more rare; as are the small number of Model 1900’s that shipped to individuals including those prominent in the military and in the shooting sports.
Walter W. Winans (April 5, 1852 to August 12, 1920) was one such prominent individual. Winans was an American marksman, prolific author, horse breeder, hunter, horseman, sculptor and painter who participated in the 1908 and 1912 Summer Olympics. He won two Olympic medals for shooting: a gold medal in the 1908 London Olympics and a silver medal in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. In addition, Winans demonstrated the sport of pistol dueling, a non-medal competition, in the 1908 Olympic games held in London. He also had the unique distinction of winning a gold medal in the 1912 Olympics held in Stockholm in the  artistic competition, for his sculpture “An American Trotter”.
It may be easier to list Winans’ firearms related accomplishments and writings:
     Olympic Champion and Gold Medalist for Shooting 1908 London
     Olympic Gold Medal for Sculpture 1912 Stockholm
     Olympic Silver Medal for Shooting 1912 Stockholm
     Revolver Champion:  Five years, NRA of Great Britain
                                           Seven years, South London Rifle Club
                                           Ten years, North London Rifle Club
     Dueling Champion, Gastinne-Renette’s, Paris
     Vice President, NRA of Great Britain
     President, Ashford Rifle Club
     Life Member, both American NRA and Great Britain NRA

Bibliography of books and articles authored by Walter Winans:
     The Art of Revolver Shooting, New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1901.
     Hints on Revolver Shooting, New York: Putman’s, 1904.
     Practical Rifle Shooting, New York, Putnam’s, 1906.
     The Sporting Rifle, New York: Putnam’s, 1908.
     The Art of Revolver Shooting, Rev. Ed., New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1911.
     Shooting for Ladies, New York: Putnam’s, 1911.
     “Revolvers” – Encyclopedia of Sports & Games, Vol. IV, The Sportsman (1912).
     Deer Breeding for Fine Heads (1913).
     Animal Sculpture (1914).
     Pistolen-und Revolverschiessen translation of The Art of Revolver Shooting (1914).


It is beyond any doubt that Walter W. Winans was an expert in firearms and sculpture. His expertise in the shooting sports, his inquisitiveness about a newly designed Colt automatic pistol, his extensive writing and his valued opinion may have been influential in securing an extremely early production of this Colt Model 1900 serial number 44, especially when Colt’s was busy trying to fulfill a first U. S. Army contract of 100 pistols of which the first 50 were shipped on May 16, 1900, just one day prior to the shipping of Walter Winans serial number 44. Colt’s shipped the remaining 50 U.S. first Army contract in two subsequent shipments of twenty-five pistols each on May 23 and June 1, 1900. Did Colt’s make any special effort to get a new Model 1900 to Winans when Colt’s priority was to fulfill the first Army contract hoping to achieve a large government contract? Yes, Colt’s shipped Winans Model 1900 on May 17, 1900, just one day after one-half of the first Army contract pistols were shipped to Springfield. Did Winans request and purchase this pistol? Yes, Winans Model 1900 was configured with special target sights per the Colt factory order of May 14, 1900. Winans was an expert marksman who even invented his own pistol sights and preferred a target sight to the production sight safety of the early Model 1900. Did Colt’s seek Winan’s judgement and send number 44 for evaluation? We may never know exactly why he acquired such an early production of Colt’s first automatic pistol but let us review some of Winans’ thoughts gleaned from his subsequent writings about the new automatic pistols.
“However, I do not like the sights of this Colt automatic.”
“I do not advise the purchase of any automatic pistol which does not have at least one safety bolt.” 
“It is very dangerous to carry an automatic pistol loaded in the pocket, unless it has a safety bolt.”
 “There are two makes which, from personal experience, I can recommend; one is the Colt 45 (1911) which has been adopted by the United States Government for Army and Navy purposes. This has a grip at the proper angle for shooting.”
“The Colt automatic (1911) of the U.S. Army pattern has a stock as pleasant to aim with as a dueling pistol.”
“Next, it (Colt 1911) has a hammer which can be put to full and half cock, just like that of an ordinary pistol or revolver.”
“It (Colt 1911) has, besides two safety appliances.”
“With these alterations (sights) I think the U.S. regulation Colt is the best automatic I know.”
“The Savage automatic is also very good and I can confidently recommend it, especially for those who find the .45 Colt too large for their purpose.”
As an aside, Winans also wrote “The Colt 22 calibre is very nice for ladies’ use.”
Walter W. Winans objected to the safety, the grip angle, the stocks and particularly the sights     Automatic Pistol Shooting, New York: Putman’s, (1915).
     The Modern Pistol & How to Shoot It, New York: Putnam’s, (1919).
     How to Handle a Revolver London: Geo Newnes (pages 289 to 295 of CB Fry’s Magazine vol II 1904 to 1905.
     “Some Hints on Revolver Shooting in Competitions”, published in the “Book of Sports” by Cassell’s and Company of London in 1903.
     How to Drive a Trotter, London: Geo Newnes (pp. 498-500 of CB Fry’s Magazine Vol II 1904 to 1905)
. Was this the type of evaluation which Colt’s sought? Remember that Colt’s also sent 550 of the Model 1900s to the U.S. Army and Navy for their evaluation and hopeful adoption as their service sidearm. Those Colt collectors that follow the development of the Colt Automatic up to the acceptance of the Model 1911 by the U.S. Army, can follow the changes in the safeties, grip angle, stocks and sights in both prototypes and subsequent production models by Colt’s and the inventor, John Browning. Was Walter W. Winans instrumental in suggesting changes to these initial shortcomings of this Model 1900 to Colt’s and John Browning?
The Colt archive letter lists this Colt Model 1900 Automatic Pistol serial number 44 as .38c with a 6” barrel, blued shipped to Colt’s Patent Fire-Arms Mfg. Company, London office, on May 17, 1900, in a shipment of one for Walter Winans.
Per the Colt Factory Repair Records, originally from the Hintlian Archive and now in the collection of CCA Director, Sam Lisker; when Colt 1900 serial number 44 was manufactured, it was configured with special sights per repair order dated May 14, 1900, just three days before it shipped to Walter Winans. Given Winans’ notoriety as an accomplished target shooter, it’s not unreasonable to assume these special sights were added to serial number 44 at his request. Also, Winans had personally developed and used his target sights in his many shooting competitions. Might these sights have been special ordered or even supplied by Winans for his Colt Automatic serial number 44? Might the Model 1900 production sight safety have been eliminated or altered on Walter Winans serial number 44 in May 1900 which was shipped with special sights per the factory repair order?
In its present form, this refinished Colt Model 1900 serial number 44 now has a replacement slide from Model 1900 serial number 431. The sight safety has been factory altered with rear plunge milled slide serrations, rubber grips, a round hammer and a concave push button takedown. The whereabouts of the target sights originally supplied from Colt’s on slide serial number 44 are still a mystery, as is the original slide serial numbered 44.
Colt Model 1900 serial number 431 was included in a shipment of ten guns shipped to Browning Brothers on July 7, 1900. The Colt repair records also contain an entry indicating that “Browning Bros Co.” returned Colt Model 1900 serial number 431 to Colt’s to alter the sight safety device on December 16, 1902. The entry for Model 1900 serial number 431 makes no mention of any special sights. The Colt repair records do not contain a subsequent entry regarding Model 1900 serial number 44. A mystery remains as to when and why the Winans frame serial number 44 got mated to Browning’s slide serial number 431.
The slide marking and the concave takedown on slide serial number 431 are later than those found on an early Model 1900 and is a modification done with a factory conversion. The slide reads: “Browning’s Patent” Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Mfg Co Apr 20, 1897 Sept 9, 1902 Hartford, Conn USA.  The left trigger guard has the verified proof in a triangle which was started after 1905. Why was Model 1900 serial number 44 sent back to Colt’s? Was it for repair, refinish or alteration? Was it ever in the hands of the inventor John Browning for modification and mated to slide #431?
One of the Walter W. Winans’ observations that I disagree with is the lack of beauty of the early automatics. Although crude in comparison to the Model 1911, the simplicity, fit and finish of the early Colt automatics including this Model 1900 are a thing of beauty in my opinion and one of the reasons that I collect them.
Winans writes, “The idea that ugliness does not matter is a fallacy. I was objecting to a pistol a man was shooting (and of which he asked my opinion), on the grounds that it was so ugly. “What has ugliness to do with a pistol?” he said. “In my opinion, everything”, I (Winans) answered. “Nothing correct mechanically is ugly, that is the Law of Nature. The early, impractical, automatic pistols were extremely ugly; the best at present, the U.S. Army Colt, has graceful lines, and the perfect one will be beautiful. The essence of architecture is beauty in utility. An automatic pistol should be as simple as possible, the simpler the less likely to go wrong.”
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the saying goes. Who am I to disagree with Winans who won a gold medal for sculpture back when the fine arts were included in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm? But I love the beauty, simplicity, fit and finish of John Browning’s genius, particularly in the early Colt’s automatics.
Whether the Colt Model 1900 serial number 44 was a purchase, a gift, or on a loan account, the first Colt’s automatics were a novelty firearm and would have been particularly scrutinized by an expert marksman and firearms author like Walter W. Winans. I have expressed many of the same thoughts as Winans, except for this pistol’s beauty. The small fixed sights, sight safety, smooth wooden grips, grip angle, full felt recoil and general safety are all concerns for me and were for Winans.  But I still love shooting my Model 1900 long slides and appreciate the genius of the inventor John Browning and the expertise of the manufacturer, Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company. The place in history and development of the automatic pistol truly makes this Colt Model 1900 serial number 44 one of the Walkers of the Colt automatics.
References:
Bady, Donald B., Colt Automatic Pistols, CA, Borden, 1973
Colt Archive Properties, Office of the Colt Historian Archive Letter
Goddard, William H. D., The Government Models, RI, Mowbry Inc., 1998
Lisker, Sam, CCA Director, personal correspondence re. Hintlian Archive
Riling, Ray, Guns and Shooting, a Bibliography, New York: Greenberg, 1951
Sheldon, Douglas G., A Collector’s Guide to Colt’s 38 Automatic Pistols, 1987


 

Curio/Relic: Yes
Handgun Caliber: .38 Auto (.38 ACP)
Manufacturer: Colt
Model: 1900
Serial Number: 44
Barrel Length: 6
Condition: Great as refinished
Metal Condition: great
Wood Condition: OK
Bore Condition: great
Weight: 3
Sights: fixed
Manufacture Date: 1900
Grips: smooth walnut original and original black rubber

Price: $6,000.00
Shipping: $25.00