A rugged and reliable design based on the Colt 1903 .32" pistol but rechambered for .38". Copied in various sizes all over the world. Once issued to US Army Generals its compact and neat design plus the stopping power of it’s .38 bullet resulted in many police forces using it. This example is marked ‘Shanghai Municipal Police’, with police issue no 2297. Serial no and issue no suggest it is from a batch shipped in the mid 1920s.
Marks and Stamps: (L side of slider) COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG CO. HARTFORD CT. U.S.A. PATENTED APR 20. 1897 DEC 22 1903 Serial No (R side) COLT AUTOMATIC .380 HAMMERLESS 2297 SHANGHAI MUNICIPAL POLICE No 2297| Accession Number: 109 | Period of Use: 1903 - 1950s |
| Type: Self loading/automatic pistol | War Zones: Mexico; First World War; Second World War |
| Country of Origin: USA | Type Date: 1908 |
| Manufacturer: Colts Firearm Manufacturing Co. Hartford CT. | Serial Number: 108497 |
| Manufacture Date: Mid 1920s | Calibre/Ammunition: 0.380" |
| Weight: 640g | Length Overall: 205mm |
| Cyclic Rate: semi-auto | Length Barrel: 127mm |
| Deactivation Certificate Number: DA 77097 |