Top Country Shooter Ralph Wolford gave the information on my colt. According to him it was # 76 made out of that series of 800. I don't know who is correct.
There was no such thing as any 76 out of 800 Series/run...and no such thing as any 'series'.
Small Press Books printed in a small number sometimes have such a series or run, and they will be numbered "This copy is No. 76 out of 800" for example, and be signed by the Author right above or below the enumeration disclosure.
I know of no instance where this has ever been encountered with any old Colts or other Hand Guns back when, nor was it part of how the Military did things when Ordering Guns.
Nor is the Number on the Butt the Serial Number.
The Number on the Butt is the Army Inventory Number, and once it got over 999, it went to two lines.
The Serial Number is inside the Crane Knuckle area.
As I said--I bought it cause I liked it. It's that simple. It also appears that Colt themselves wanted my revolver (before it was MINE) for 100 days to verify it's history due to the medallion. So I may submit it to Colt and see what happens. Maybe the best way to go is to let Colt research it. I will take some more photos though.
The Stocks on this Revolver mean nothing.
Someone added them at some point, and they may even be sanded/re-finished WWI plain Walnut Stocks, to which someone merely added some much later 'Medallions'.
The Medallions do not date to the era of the Revolver, they are newer.
No Colt m1917 came with Medallions in the Stocks - these were Military Revolvers and the Military required plain oiled Walnut Stocks.
There is nothing about this Revolver which would be of any interest to Colt, in any way whatever...even if it was minty and kept in a Box since new.
It is a nice example of the m1917, and it may even be in the original finish if 'mellowed', which someone modified the Stocks on by adding later Medallions, or which someone added the stocks it has on it now anyway.
No one familiar with the Colt New Service or Colt m1917 Revolvers would require 100 days to understand it.
Three seconds is more than enough time to understand it perfectly, for anyone familiar and informed, even with merely some decent images, as we have above.
Better images would help decide if this is the original finish or if it is an older re-finish which sought to emulate the original finish.
It is a nice enough, maybe even very nice ( better images would help us! ) mellow maybe original finish, wrong Stocks Colt m1917.
We all love them!
Most of us have a one or even a few in similar condition.
Sometimes these can even be our favorite old Hiking or Trail or Camping Guns.
It is anything more than that? Anything unusual?
No...
But then too, it is plenty and it is fine just being what it is!
These are great Revolvers!
