*RARE DOCUMENTED COLT PONY SEMI-AUTO PISTOL.

*RARE DOCUMENTED COLT PONY SEMI-AUTO PISTOL. SN CPA001020. Cal. 380 ACP. Blue finish with 3-1/4″ bbl, thick half moon front sight and adjustable rear sight. Mounted with 2-pc full checkered walnut grips with silver Colt medallions. This little pistol is built very similar to a Colt 1911A1 with nearly identical slide lock & thumb safety on left side and half cock notch in the 1911 style hammer. It differentiates in the Colt look in that it does not have a grip safety and the back strap is more ergonomic for the palm of the hand. Left side of slide is marked “COLT PONY / CALIBER .380 AUTOMATIC” along with the rampant Colt. Right side of slide, forward of ejection port is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. / HARTFORD, CT., U.S.A.” with the rampant Colt and two small stars. The frame is of blued steel and SN is on the right forward side. Accompanied by an orig Firearms International Industries 2-pc wood grain cardboard box without labels or markings except the company information & logo on the lid. Also accompanied by a bill of sale in the name of Shenandoah Guns from Firearms International Corp. dated June 30, 1977 for a Colt Junior 25 caliber auto pistol and this pistol. These little pistols have an obscure and pretty much unknown history that has been thoroughly researched by Mr. John Karns of Martinsburg, WV. A detailed report of his findings accompanies this pistol. He learned that in about 1971 or 1972 Firearms International Corp. (FIC) had discontinued the Colt Cub program, a pistol which had been manufactured by Astra in Spain for Colt and which had been made illegal to import under the Gun Control Act of 1968. FIC facilitated the purchase of the machinery & parts needed to jump start the Colt Cub program in the U.S. They also arranged for the 380 caliber Pony program wherein they would supply the parts and Colt would finish & inspect them. The program was dropped by Colt in 1974, however FIC decided to produce this pistol as their Model D which became an instant success. Mr. Karns reports that conversations with Colt representatives disclosed that approx. 47 pistols were manufactured by FIC for colt& received by Colt from FIC with only 10 of them being retained and the other 37 returned to FIC. In that conversation Colt declined to disclose the SNs of the 10 pistols they retained. In a conversation between this cataloger and the former owner of Collias-Lawing Gun Shop in Charlotte, NC, it was disclosed that Collias-Lawing had purchased about 20 of these pistols from FIC and when they arrived they were in FIC boxes with FIC slides. A few days later they received a package from FIC which contained the “COLT” marked slides, which were assembly number marked so it was very simple to match the slides to the correct frame, which they did and sold the entire lot over a period of time. The orig Colt Pony pistols are some of the most rare of all Colt automatics and are basically unknown outside of a select few advanced collectors. Disassembly of this pistol disclosed no assembly numbers. PROVENANCE: Private Coll. of a Gentleman. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, as new. Overall retains about all of its fine orig factory finish with only slight muzzle edge wear from sliding around in the box. Frame is a purple color with a deep dark blue slide. Grips are sound showing light diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore, may have been fired but if so very little. Box is fine. 4-41902 (5,000-7,000)

Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1061	$6,325.00	RARE DOCUMENTED COLT PONY SEMI-AUTO PISTOL. SN CPA001020. Cal. 380 ACP. Blue finish with 3-1/4″ bbl, thick half moon front sight and adjustable rear sight. Mounted with 2-pc full checkered walnut grips with silver Colt medallions. This little pistol is built very similar to a Colt 1911A1 with nearly identical slide lock & thumb safety on left side and half cock notch in the 1911 style hammer. It differentiates in the Colt look in that it does not have a grip safety and the back strap is more ergonomic for the palm of the hand. Left side of slide is marked “COLT PONY / CALIBER .380 AUTOMATIC” along with the rampant Colt. Right side of slide, forward of ejection port is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. / HARTFORD, CT., U.S.A.” with the rampant Colt and two small stars. The frame is of blued steel and SN is on the right forward side. Accompanied by an orig Firearms International Industries 2-pc wood grain cardboard box without labels or markings except the company information & logo on the lid. Also accompanied by a bill of sale in the name of Shenandoah Guns from Firearms International Corp. dated June 30, 1977 for a Colt Junior 25 caliber auto pistol and this pistol. These little pistols have an obscure and pretty much unknown history that has been thoroughly researched by Mr. John Karns of Martinsburg, WV. A detailed report of his findings accompanies this pistol. He learned that in about 1971 or 1972 Firearms International Corp. (FIC) had discontinued the Colt Cub program, a pistol which had been manufactured by Astra in Spain for Colt and which had been made illegal to import under the Gun Control Act of 1968. FIC facilitated the purchase of the machinery & parts needed to jump start the Colt Cub program in the U.S. They also arranged for the 380 caliber Pony program wherein they would supply the parts and Colt would finish & inspect them. The program was dropped by Colt in 1974, however FIC decided to produce this pistol as their Model D which became an instant success. Mr. Karns reports that conversations with Colt representatives disclosed that approx. 47 pistols were manufactured by FIC for colt& received by Colt from FIC with only 10 of them being retained and the other 37 returned to FIC. In that conversation Colt declined to disclose the SNs of the 10 pistols they retained. In a conversation between this cataloger and the former owner of Collias-Lawing Gun Shop in Charlotte, NC, it was disclosed that Collias-Lawing had purchased about 20 of these pistols from FIC and when they arrived they were in FIC boxes with FIC slides. A few days later they received a package from FIC which contained the “COLT” marked slides, which were assembly number marked so it was very simple to match the slides to the correct frame, which they did and sold the entire lot over a period of time. The orig Colt Pony pistols are some of the most rare of all Colt automatics and are basically unknown outside of a select few advanced collectors. Disassembly of this pistol disclosed no assembly numbers. PROVENANCE: Private Coll. of a Gentleman. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus, as new. Overall retains about all of its fine orig factory finish with only slight muzzle edge wear from sliding around in the box. Frame is a purple color with a deep dark blue slide. Grips are sound showing light diamond point wear. Mechanics are crisp, bright shiny bore, may have been fired but if so very little. Box is fine. 4-41902 (5,000-7,000) Auction: Firearms - Spring 2011 Please Note:* All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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