SOLD - Attributed Colt Army Special Revolver - With Factory Letter

Description

4/2/26 - This is a near-mint example of a Colt Army Special .38 revolver, manufactured in 1922. It is all matching, and according to the included factory letter, it was shipped to "F.C.N., Lt. Worthy" (in the US Army) on January 5, 1922. No address listed. One of our customers was kind enough to research Lt. Worthy on his own and was able to find some information on him (see below). The gun has retained nearly all of its original bluing with just a hint of a roll mark on the cylinder and areas of very light freckling on the right side of the frame and on the grip straps. Fitted with excellent black hard rubber grips. Like-new bore. 

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According to the 1922 Official Army Register, the officer is almost certainly 1st Lieutenant George Worthy (Service No. 0-12502). At the time of the January 5, 1922, ship date, he was a commissioned Infantry officer in the Regular Army. The name "Worthy" is exceptionally rare in the officer corps of that era, and he is the only match for the rank and timeline.

Furthermore, the "F.C.N." in the shipping address is not a location, but a military logistics code for the Finance Center, North. During the post-WWI reorganization, officers frequently purchased their own sidearms through specialized military contracts or payroll deductions. These were often routed through the Army Finance Department’s hubs—specifically the Finance Center North in Washington D.C.—to be processed before being forwarded to the officer’s actual duty station.

In 1922, most Infantry Lieutenants of his seniority were either stationed at the Infantry School at Fort Benning or serving with the American Forces in Germany (Occupation). This documentation adds significant historical weight to the piece, identifying it as a personal sidearm of a career Infantry officer during the "Old Army" interwar period.