Colt Model 1902 Sporting .38 ACP, 6-inch Barrel, 1903 Manufacture, Bright Plated Refinish
This Colt Model 1902 Sporting is an early-production .38 ACP pistol with the 6-inch barrel and approximately 9-inch overall length. Built in 1903, it shows classic Sporting-variant attributes including the rounded butt without lanyard loop and front-only slide serrations. It features a bright plated refinish, smooth wood replacement grips, and a single-stack 7-round magazine with witness holes.
Notable period details include the right-slide legend "AUTOMATIC COLT / CALIBRE 38 RIMLESS SMOKELESS" and the left-slide legend citing Browning’s April 20, 1897 patent and the Colt Hartford address. The pistol uses John Browning’s early two-link locked-breech system and has sights with the rear unit positioned at the extreme rear of the slide.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Bore Rifling: Good Rifling - Intact, well-defined lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: The pistol has been refurbished and refinished. Pitting is present under the plating and visible across the finish. Scratches and blemishes are present. The grips are replacements and not original to the gun. The rifling is present and defined but shows blemishing.
What’s Included
- 1x 7-round single-stack steel magazine with witness holes
- Leather holster
The Sporting model configuration is evident throughout: a rounded butt without a lanyard loop, front cocking serrations, a long slide, and a long oval ejection port. These early features align with the factory 6-inch barrel and about 9-inch overall length, giving the pistol its distinctive profile among early Colt automatics.
Mechanically, it is a single-action design using Browning’s short-recoil, two-link locked-breech system. It has an exposed spur hammer and iron sights, with the rear sight positioned at the extreme rear of the slide and a front blade. There is no separate frame-mounted or grip safety.
The slide, frame, and magazine show a bright, reflective plated finish over carbon steel construction. Grips are smooth wood panels retained by two screws and without medallions, consistent with the Sporting layout but noted here as non-original replacements.
Rollmarks remain a defining element on this example, with the right side reading "AUTOMATIC COLT / CALIBRE 38 RIMLESS SMOKELESS" and the left side referencing Browning’s April 20, 1897 patent and the Colt Hartford address. Capacity is 7+1 in .38 ACP using the included single-stack magazine with witness holes.