Description
This Colt Rimless Smokeless .38 Auto has been beautifully restored by Turnbull Restorations, which, if you know the name, tells you everything you need to know. They’re not just restorers; they’re preservationists. Every polish, every line, every tone of blue feels intentional — respectful of what the original craftsmen meant it to be.
Back in the early 1900s, when black powder was giving way to the new “smokeless” revolution, Colt was ahead of the curve. Their Rimless Smokeless series wasn’t just about cleaning up the mess of old cartridges; it was about setting a new standard. The .38 Auto cartridge burned cleaner, shot smoother, and helped usher in a modern era of pistols. This model stood right at that turning point. Think of it as the first spark of what we now call the semi-automatic age.
What Turnbull did here isn’t a simple refinish. It’s more like restoration as storytelling. The deep blued steel, the soft glow of the grips, everything feels proper, balanced, timeless. Not too glossy. Not too new. Just perfect.
And the details matter: it still comes with its original paperwork and packaging. That’s the kind of provenance collectors dream about, the bridge between “artifact” and “alive again.”
Sure, you could take it to the range. It would run flawlessly. But this one’s meant to be admired. Held. Remembered. It’s a window into that moment when firearms stopped being tools and started becoming something more: symbols of progress, craftsmanship, and pride.
