Roosevelt's 1902 Colt Semiauto on Curator's Corner

Roosevelt's 1902 Colt Semiauto on Curator's Corner

via NRAblog by GOblog.nospam@nospam.nrahq.org (LDalseide) on 3/8/12

The second to last episode of Curator's Corner comes to us from the Colt Manufacturing Company by way of Rock Island Auctions. What we're talking about here is a 1902 Colt Military Model semi-automatic pistol. And why would Rock Island be interesting in such a piece? We are talking about a firearm that's over a hundred years old ... but there's more. The Colt 1902 on tonight's episode (not the one pictured above) was owned by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Presented to the President by the President of Colt Firearms, this particular pistol also came with a detachable stock. Whether shot from the shoulder or simply by hand, President Roosevelt's pistol also came with a leather holster, an inlayed "T.R.", and letter of thanks from Teddy. The letter read, in part:

I am very much obliged to you for the Colt Automatic.

I shall use it at the first opportunity.

I am afraid Ted (President Roosevelt's son)has no chance of going to Maine this year.

The 1902 Colt Military Model, a precursor to the famed 1911, has an 8-round magazine, hardened rubber grips and is chambered for a .38 ACP. Unlike the sporting model from the same year, the Military Model also came with sa quare butt profile and a lanyard loop.

But whatever I tell you here will be no where near as detailed as the tale that National Firearms Museum Director Jim Supica will tell tonight. And that's exactly why you should tune in.

So get in front of your computer this evening at 10:40 pm eastern standard time as Supica is joined by Kevin Hogan of Rock Island Auction Company to give you all the details on NRANews.com and Sirius/XM Patriot Satellite Radio.