Nickel Diamondback letters to prove Diamondback68 correct...

[Colt-SL]

Back in August, last year, the question arose about nickel Diamondbacks, sights and dates of manufacture for the nickeled guns. Diamondback68 (Dick) and I conversed when I learned that mine predated the cataloged (1975) nickel DB's. Colt told me mine was made in 1971. His notes showed that special orders, though rare, dated back to 1971. So I requested an Archive Letter. Thanks Dick!!

See original discussion here: Nickel Diamondback question???

Archive Letter seen here;

[diamonback68]

Hey great! I'm glad it worked out for you and I was of some help. You have a pretty rare gun there a few years ahead of it's time. I wonder if there are 9 more of them out there or were the others just blued. Enjoy!

[Colt-SL]

Thank you sir. Hope you're doing well!

[HEMICHARGER]

Hello and fantastic that your gun actually came from Colt with the nickel finish! Looking at the letter, I was pleasantly surprised that your Diamondback was shipped to Grant Ilseng Sporting goods in Houston. I actually never bought a gun from there but I bought a lot of fishing equipment there and remember the place well. The store was just a little south of downtown a few blocks off the Gulf Freeway and was a great place to buy as they had stuff you could not find in stock in most other places.

I never met the original owner (Grant Ilseng) as I think he had passed by the time I started going there (early 1980's) but was told he was a champion shotgunner in his competition days. The store ended up closing down in the mid 1980's and was not reopened as I remember.

[diamonback68]

There ya go Tony, more provenance.

[Colt-SL]

Hello and fantastic that your gun actually came from Colt with the nickel finish! Looking at the letter, I was pleasantly surprised that your Diamondback was shipped to Grant Ilseng Sporting goods in Houston. I actually never bought a gun from there but I bought a lot of fishing equipment there and remember the place well. The store was just a little south of downtown a few blocks off the Gulf Freeway and was a great place to buy as they had stuff you could not find in stock in most other places.

I never met the original owner (Grant Ilseng) as I think he had passed by the time I started going there (early 1980's) but was told he was a champion shotgunner in his competition days. The store ended up closing down in the mid 1980's and was not reopened as I remember.

Thanks for that! I'll print this out; as Dick rightly says, more provenance!

[HEMICHARGER]

To Colt-SL: I actually found a picture of the place on Google Maps ! I used to park in this parking lot and walk across the street to the old place. I see the old sign is still there for Sporting Goods Inc. Hard to believe the sign is still there. The building (cream-colored one with no windows across the street) is it and I think it is now a furniture rental place! When you "Google Map" the address it goes too far down the street and is actually on the corner of Mckinney and York.

Google Maps

[Peter M. Eick]

I was thinking the same thing. I see that sign occasionally when I am downtown. Small world!