Colt Firearms Collector
Preserving our American history

 

 

Colt Maroon Box Interiors and Labels Wanted to Purchase

c. 1900 to 1940s

Colt factory revolver and pistol shipping boxes in the shipping room

Colt factory revolver and pistol shipping boxes stacked up in the Colt shipping room

The Colt Archives...Factory Shipping Boxes

As completed guns were delivered for shipping, the serial numbers and other data were recorded in the company ledgers and the serial number was written in pencil on the bottom of the shipping box.  These numbers on the back of the box can be looked up on the Colt Serial Number website to determine the year the revolver or pistol was shipped in the box.  Shipping information and dates are in the ledgers the Archives service use to create Colt Factory Letters for dealers and collectors today.

 

This information can be used to match up the correct factory box to an existing isolated revolver.

 

Examples of the type and color of Pre-1940 Colt boxes

I buy for my collection:

Paying $100 to $350 depending on, year, rarity, and condition. 

Please send photos of what you have to sell.

Contact Mike

Colt Detective Speicial factory box label 1931

Colt Detective Special .38 (1931)

Detective Special in Colt factory box

open colt detective special box with internal labels

Interior of the hinged box

top of colt detective special box

Colt factory box top and bottom

bottom of colt detective special box with serial numbers

Above: Serial number hand written on bottom of box

 

 Additional information on Colt boxes and labels

 

Below are examples from 'Rock Island Auctions' listings online

 

Colt 1930 Police Positive target 22 LR box and label. Colt 1930 Police Positive target 22 LR
Colt 1920s Police Positive 22 LR target label Colt 1920s Police Positive 22 LR target
Colt Police Positive .38, 5 in. barrel box label Colt Police Positive .38, 5 in. barrel
Colt Police Positive .32, 2 1/2 in. barrel box label Colt Police Positive .32, 2 1/2 in. barrel
Colt Official Police .38 nickel, 4 in. barrel box label Colt Official Police .38 nickel, 4 in. barrel box label
Early Colt blue box label New Police revolver, .32, 4 inch barrel Early Colt blue box label New Police revolver, .32, 4 inch barrel-2
Colt New Service D.A. revolver .45, 7 1/2 inch barrel box label Colt New Service D.A. revolver .45, 7 1/2 inch barrel
Colt Bankers's Special box label for 2 in barrrel police positive Colt Bankers's Special box label for 2 in barrrel police positive-2
Colt police positive .22 special target box label Colt police positive .22 special target
Colt 2nd issue officers model heavy barrel target box label Colt 2nd issue officers model heavy barrel target
No end label, special box with 'Shooting Master' printed on box

Colt Shooting Master factory box

Colt shooting master box Colt shooting master revolver
Colt Camp Perry box and label, 10 in. barrel box label Colt Camp Perry box and label, 10 in. barrel
Colt Detective Special .38, 2 inch barrel box label Colt Detective Special .38, 2 inch barrel
WWII Colt official police 38-200 box label WWII Colt official police 38-200
Colt Pocket positive .32, 2 1/2 in. barrel box label Colt Pocket positive .32, 2 1/2 in. barrel
Colt Police Positive .32, 2 1/2 in. barrel box label Colt police positive .32 with 2 1/2 in. barrel
Colt police positive Special .38 box label
Colt yellow box end label for automatic pistol .32
Colt_Officers_Model_38-6in-bbl-target heavy barrel box_end_label

Colt boxes needed list for Mike's collection as of (2023):

 

Colt Officers' Model, .38 Early First Issue (1904), 6" bbl
Colt Army Special .38, (1915), 6" bbl
Colt Model 1917, U.S. Army issue .45 ACP (1918)
Colt Police Positive .38, (1919) 6 in. bbl
Colt Model 1908 Pistol .380 ACP.,(1922) 3 3/4" bbl  (Type III box)
Colt New Service Revolver, .45 Colt.,(1924) 5 1/2" bbl
Colt 'Camp Perry' Target Pistol .22LR (1929) 10 in. bbl.
Colt Police Positive Target .22 (1929) 6 in. bbl. Set of four
Colt Police Positive Target .22 (1933) 6 in. bbl. Set of four
Colt Police Positive Target .22 (1938) 6 in. bbl. Set of four
Colt Police Positive Target .22 (1941) 6 in. bbl. Set of four
Colt Police Positive .38. (1930) 4 in. bbl
Colt Bankers' Special .38, (1931) 2" bbl.
Colt 'Shooting Master' Target .38 (1931) 6 in. bbl.
Colt Officers Model Target .38 (1937) heavy 6 in. bbl. 

 

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Pre-WW2 boxes for Colt revolvers

 

 

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This non-commercial Colt reference website contains aggregated research notes & images from my personal Colt collection. I occasionally use openly posted information on the internet which is used here under the Fair Use doctrine for educational purposes. The information displayed is not in anyway meant to infringe on copyrighted material ....