Colt Mustang Ceramic Special Edition

Colt did a lot of strange and wonderful things out of the Custom Gun Shop, but the Ceramic Mustang sits in a category all its own. This was the very first Colt special edition to use the ceramic inlay process, and the entire run came to just 100 pistols. The accompanying factory letter from the Office of the Historian lays it all out, including the shipment to Ellett Brothers in January 1990 and the note that this edition was the first to carry Colt's experimental ceramic work.

The left side of the slide is where the artistry lives. A spray of inlaid flowers runs across the polished nickel in red, orange, purple, and deep blue, with green stems and leaves threading between them. Below the bloom sits a single butterfly in matching color. The work is fired ceramic set into the metal, not paint, and the colors hold their depth against the bright finish. Flip the gun over and the right side of the slide and frame carries Type A American scroll engraving, cut by a Colt Master Engraver. The dust cover wears flowing scrollwork around the MUSTANG 380 AUTO rollmark.

The grips are smooth ivory, each set with a gold rampant Colt medallion. The left panel carries the script initials S R in red, added through Colt's offer to personalize each pistol after delivery. That detail makes this example specific to its original owner and impossible to replicate.

Mechanically it's the standard Mustang. A .380 ACP scaled down from the 1911 pattern, single action, with the crisp trigger and familiar controls that made the little Colt a favorite for concealed carry. But that's not this pistol's job anymore.

It comes in its fitted oak presentation case with the glass lid, dark green velvet interior, and the serpentine Colt etched into the corner. The factory letter ships with it. For a collector chasing Colt's odder Custom Shop output, the first ceramic gun with paper to prove it is hard to walk past.