Colt Camp Perry Model Pre-Production Pistol

Before the Camp Perry Model ever reached a dealer's shelf, Colt built a small batch of these single-shot target pistols and handed them to the shooters it trusted most. This is one of them.

Colt's own records say about 33 of the .22 caliber Camp Perry pistols were assembled in 1920 and 1921. They went out on loan to dealers, top competitors, and a few well-placed people. The idea was simple: get honest feedback before committing to a production run. The feedback was good. Early guns from this group went to the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, where the U.S. pistol team took gold. Regular production finally started in 1926.

This pistol shipped on July 30, 1923, to Robt. T. Hurley. Colt didn't record his address, but the name matches Robert T. Hurley of Hartford. He was Superintendent of the Connecticut State Police that year and became the department's Commissioner in 1927. Colt's factory was in the same city. It's easy to see why the company wanted its new target pistol in his hands.

The design is clever. Colt took its Officer's Model frame and replaced the cylinder with a flat chamber block that swings out to the left, just like a revolver. The 10-inch barrel reads "CAL. 22 LONG RIFLE" on the left side, with Colt's Hartford address and the 1905 patent date on top. Up front is a target blade adjustable for elevation, and the rear sight adjusts with a screw. The checkered walnut stocks carry Colt medallions.

You won't find "Camp Perry Model" stamped on the chamber block. That's correct for an early gun, since Colt didn't add the name until well into regular production. The blue is deep and even, with honest wear at the muzzle and edges and some handling marks on the chamber block.

It comes with two 1965 Colt factory letters, a period Simmons Hardware catalog page, and research tying the gun to its first owner. Pre-production Colts with a paper trail like this rarely come to market.