* Guns manufactured after serial number 111500 are considered modern and are subject to Federal Firearms Laws.
** Last guns were manufactured in 1909 , but gun parts clean up and guns in inventory at the ware house lasted through 1912 when the last ones were sold off along with remaining parts to a wholesaler. Last guns sold were of low and mostly even serial numbers such as 300 , 600 hundred, etc. and will not letter as no record was kept as to whom they were sold to.
Each Caliber had a designated name probably given to them by Kitteridge Of Cincinnati, Ohio.
32 Caliber were named --- RAINMAKER
38 Caliber where named --- LIGHTNING
41 Caliber's were named --- THUNDERER
There are some known factory conversions to 22 caliber with barrels marked : COLT DA 22 in existing collections that letter and are marked as being returned to the factory for conversion.
Known barrel lengths run from 2 to 12 inches. 2 inches are extremely Rare and command premium prices
Longer barrel lengths are known in: 7 -- 7 1/2 --- 8 --10 --12 and are extremely rare with less than 1000 manufactured and are considered to be special order.
There was a unknown number of target pistols manufactured with longer elongated grips and target sights..
There are a number of guns in all caliber's with English Markings and Pall Mall street addresses.
38 caliber guns are known to have been made in 38 S&W Caliber and are marked with just 38 caliber on the left side of the barrel ( No word Colt) serial number 51614 letters as a 38 caliber S&W caliber .
32 Caliber's ( Rain Makers) Are Extremely rare and seldom seen. No 32's are known with barrels longer than 6 inches. Estimated production to be a few thousand in all barrel lengths .
38 and 41 caliber's were sold with fancy engraving with Mother of pearl grips and Ivory grips and several with Tiffany style grips. Engraving was done in the New York Style possibly by Nimsche of New York.
There are no engraved 32 caliber guns known at this time.
There are many guns with inscriptions probably over 4500 pieces such as ( OFFICER M. CREMIN DIST. NO 3 ----- Metropolitan Police D.C. ----- AM. EX. 913 --for the American Express Co). and various police dept's through- out the country. These were popular with police dept's. and express companys and most will letter at the Colt Factory Records Department.
The Lightning or Thunderer was the gun most favored by old western outlaws such as William Bonney, AKA, BILLY THE KID and John Westley Hardin.
Guns came with the following finishes: blue, blue and case colored, nickel ,silver, gold washed and some 2 tone guns that were blue trimmed with nickel or nickel trimmed with blue.
Some known in collections serial numbered and lettered , 32 Caliber (Rainmakers ) are as follows:73362, 96465, 122212, 77210, 90055, 108495, 74470, 92787, the lowest known number is 260 and was probably assembled as part of the clean up of parts in 1910.
The following books have limited information on these guns:
COLT FIREARMS by Serven
THE BOOK OF COLT FIREARMS by R.L.Wilson
For Factory letters contact:
Kathy Hoyt
Colt's Manufacturing Co, Inc.
Historical Research
PO Box 1868
Hartford Ct. 06144
Phone from 1 to 4 pm -1 860 236 6311
Fax information to including all markings on the gun to:1 860 244 1439

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