{"id":1353,"date":"2023-08-12T02:07:34","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T02:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1353"},"modified":"2023-08-12T02:07:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T02:07:34","slug":"introducing-the-george-s-lewis-jr-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1353","title":{"rendered":"Introducing the George S. Lewis Jr. Collection"},"content":{"rendered":"


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George Lewis amassed a collection coined by one fellow collector as, \u201c\u2026one of the classic Colt collections of all time,\u201d but in the face of such lofty praise Mr. Lewis started out like most of us \u2013 he had no idea what he wanted to collect and essentially bought what he could afford.<\/p>\n

George Lewis Collection Begins<\/h3>\n

The late Mr. Lewis cites the beginning of his journey slightly before 1960, when he would\u2019ve been approximately 25 years old. Also like most nascent collectors he didn\u2019t have a particular genre in mind when began truly collecting in earnest. He once wrote,<\/p>\n

\u201cAs time went on, I found that I was drawn to the little Colt derringer, not because it had an interesting history or because it was beautiful or because there are many variations and models to obtain, but mainly because my pocketbook could afford the derringer, and I could compete with the best of collectors.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In a twist that Mr. Lewis no doubt appreciated during his lifetime, his collection now proudly showcases all the attributes he couldn\u2019t consider earlier in life: interesting histories, beauty, and numerous variations. From his first collecting days until his passing in 2020, Mr. Lewis took an area of collecting considered ordinary in previous decades, and showed it to be extra<\/em>ordinary.<\/p>\n

Despite Mr. Lewis\u2019 extremely relatable circumstances as he began collecting, he was able to take advantage of a rather fortunate situation. At that time, Colt derringers and most pocket pistols were largely unnoticed by gun collectors as a whole. Again, in Mr. Lewis\u2019 words,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Colt derringer in those years was greatly overlooked by advanced collectors. Most collections included only a sample of a 1st<\/sup>, 2nd<\/sup>, and 3rd<\/sup> model colt derringer, not going after any special type or variation. Though not plentiful, there were some mint derringers and a very few of the rare types to be found.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not only was Lewis collecting Colts long before it became popular to do so, he was doing it in a genre that very few others were pursuing. Add to that the fact that most advanced collectors of the day focused on acquiring rare variations over high-condition examples, but Mr. Lewis sought out examples that exemplified both. Expanding on that value, he also saw the importance of period-correct accessories, cases, even scooping up correct cartridge boxes and \u201cskin packets.\u201d<\/p>\n

For 65 years, much of it without the advantages of electronic communication, George Lewis collected. He attended most major gun shows, scoured the auctions, advertised in major periodicals such as Gun Report and Shotgun News, traveled the country, and like many collectors of the day, built a trusted network of friends and connections with their ear to the ground.<\/p>\n

Highlights of the George Lewis Collection<\/h3>\n

Throughout his collecting career, Mr. Lewis naturally branched out into other areas of collecting, specifically pre-war Colts, but never strayed far from his love for the little Colt pocket gun.<\/p>\n

There are nearly 50 items in the initial offering of the George Lewis Collection available in the August Premier Firearms Auction, most of which are true to his original interest in small handguns primarily used for self-defense, be it in the suit pocket of a 19th<\/sup> century urbanite or concealed beneath a frontier town faro table.<\/p>\n

Several of his most high-value firearms have already been showcased in a related video, but this article will highlight other items for the sake of variety. Collectors rightly interested in Mr. Lewis\u2019 guns are strongly encouraged to look at both.<\/p>\n

Case Hardened Colt New Lines<\/h3>\n

As the majority of Mr. Lewis\u2019 offerings in this auction consist of Colt New Line revolvers, it only seems right to begin with them here. Also, while starting with three examples in a single \u201chighlight\u201d might seem like cheating, it saves the author from featuring all three examples separately and thus exposing his own bias toward the combination of deep Colt bluing and vibrant case hardening.<\/p>\n

Top to bottom, they are lots 244<\/a>, 245<\/a>, and 243<\/a> in the auction, and even for their similar condition and appearance, they still embody the variety of the genre as well as Mr. Lewis\u2019 collection.<\/p>\n

Beginning at the top with the largest of the trio is the Colt New Line chambered for .38 centerfire. Made for the English market in 1879, it bears British proofs and its oak presentation case shows a \u00a0\u201cColt London Agency\u201d label inside its lid. The case, lined in navy-toned velvet, houses 10 unfired cartridges, a cleaning rod, and the attractive revolver.<\/p>\n

A 90% gun, it is winsome with its smooth rosewood grips, vibrant case colors on the frame, bright nitre blue small parts, and the distinctly etched \u201cCOLT NEW 38\u201d on the left side of the barrel. Its pre-auction estimate of $4,500 – $6,500 seems a bargain for any collector interested in the red-hot field of high-condition, 19th<\/sup> century Colt revolvers.<\/p>\n

In the middle, and also with a 2 \u00bc-inch barrel, is the Colt New Line chambered in .32 rimfire. It bears the early serial number 1109 in the unusual location on the barrel’s left, with the Colt two-line address on the barrel’s top, a rarely seen placement of those markings. With matching numbers, rosewood grips, and a rare correct factory box plus cleaning rod, this high condition Colt checks several interesting boxes for collectors. A remarkable beauty for its pre-auction estimate of $3,000 – $4,500.<\/p>\n

Lastly, we come to serial number 2227 located at the bottom of the photograph. The smallest chambering of the grouping, .30 rimfire, also bears the smallest barrel, measuring just 1 \u00be-inches. The checkered hard rubber grips feature a unique floral scroll at the bottom which is seldom seen, as is the short barrel length. The crisp barrel etching appears to be the best of the trio. Acid etched markings are a fragile feature on any firearm. To see them survive at all, let alone in this outstanding level of condition is the type of thing that collectors quickly notice. Hence its presence in the famed William Locke Collection as well as Mr. Lewis’. Its estimate of $4,000 – $6,000 seems a small price to pay relative to other, similarly conditioned Colts.<\/p>\n

Colt Open Top Pocket<\/h3>\n

The Colt Open Top Pocket is one of Colt\u2019s first two cartridge revolvers, both of which began production in 1871. It isn\u2019t hard to see its influence on the eventual New Line which would begin production just two years later. Chambered in .22 short and .22 long, the Open Top Pocket initially sold for $8, substantially more than similar .22 caliber revolvers of the period. The example offered this August<\/a> (shown top in the following photo) from the Lewis Collection was manufactured in the first year of production, and even after over 150 years, this little pistol is a LOOKER. <\/p>\n

Rich Colt bluing, a silver finished frame, a nitre blue that wouldn\u2019t look out of place in a Caribbean seascape, and all ending in a pair of smooth, biscuit-toned antique ivory grips, it\u2019s the stuff Colt dreams are made of. The added bonus is the rare factory box with its bright red lettering advertising the small revolver as \u201cColt\u2019s Seven Shot Pistol\u201d \u2013 a surprising reminder of its capacity despite its diminutive size. Finding this level of condition with a $6,000 – $8,000 estimate seems unfathomable.<\/p>\n

Remington Over\/Under Derringer<\/h3>\n

For all the previous talk of Mr. Lewis\u2019 love of Colt derringers, this is the first derringer on the list, though it isn\u2019t a Colt. \u00a0This is one of Remington\u2019s classics, this one known as the \u201cDouble Derringer\u201d or the \u201cModel 95.\u201d These small O\/U Remington derringers<\/a> are one of the Old West\u2019s most recognizable, especially after being drawn from garter belts or dealers\u2019 vests on countless TV shows and movies.<\/p>\n

This little beauty not only bears the desirable blue finish, but also factory engraving. Add to that some rosewood grips, glowing nitre blue parts, and the relatively beefy .41 RF chambering and you\u2019ve a good looking derringer that\u2019s ready for the poker tables. It\u2019s also ready for its next world class collection. Much like the Parsons\u2019 Armies<\/a>, this little Remington can also boast the illustrious pedigree of being housed in both the collections of Mr. Greg Lampe AND George Lewis.<\/p>\n

Honorable mention goes to the factory engraved, nickel plated Remington O\/U in lot 201<\/a> for being clean as a whistle, factory engraved, pearl gripped, and with an inscription on its backstrap that seriously bumps its cool factor.<\/p>\n

Wexell & DeGress Grips<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s another Colt Open Top Pocket, and it\u2019s exceptional. The elephant in the room is the ornate and highly desirable Wexell & Degress grips<\/a> which adds a wonderful bit of contrasting texture to the otherwise mirror-smooth original nickel finish.<\/p>\n

The grips are finished in silver, featuring a lion motif on the right side and flowers on the opposite. It\u2019s a factory engraved gun, and it too comes in a well-preserved box with labels that read \u201cNICKEL PLATED\u201d and \u201cFULL ENGRAVED.\u201d That original nickel is gorgeous, the nitre blue hammer stands out a mile away, and the grips add the right amount of flash for this very stylish Colt.<\/p>\n

Colt 1877 DA revolvers<\/h3>\n

So many decisions for what to feature last. Ultimately, the Model 1877 revolvers were chosen, not only because of their sheer condition, but to show that the Lewis Collection did venture beyond the pocket Colts. Also, Colt Lightning revolvers have brought significant sums in our last two Premier Auctions ($176,250<\/a> and $323,125<\/a>), so the two shown below present excellent opportunities to obtain a popular model that is climbing in value, each of which has been housed in an elite Colt collection.<\/p>\n

The first is a near-pristine Thunderer manufactured in 1907. It\u2019s a 97% gun with a dark, warm color palette that wouldn\u2019t be out of place during a summer rain shower at daylight\u2019s waning golden hours. Black, hard rubber grips with crisp checkering, sepia-toned case hardening, dark nitre blues, and a barrel absolutely bathed in inky blue finish. Even though the back of the hammers is well-known to have bright nitre blue on the Colt 1877 models, in a unique twist it is the bright mirror-polished sides of the hammer that provide the eye-catching accent on this Thunderer. It was shipped to San Francisco in its year of manufacture and comes with a 1970 Colt factory letter addressed to Mr. Lewis \u2013 he had been in possession of this Colt for at least half a century! This is a fine opportunity to obtain a fine Colt that\u2019s fresh to market. As per Mr. Lewis\u2019 penchant for fine arm accessories, it is accompanied with a correctly labeled factory box. Such an attractive Colt comes with an equally attractive estimate of $7,000 – $11,000.<\/p>\n

However, the second 1877 ups the ante even higher. It\u2019s like reading a list of everything Colt collectors seek. It\u2019s a first year production model, it\u2019s an ejectorless Sheriff\u2019s Model, the 3 \u00bd-inch barrel is a sought after length, the one-piece checkered hard rubber grips are extremely scarce, the barrel has acid etched markings which remain ridiculously crisp, there are matching serial numbers, it letters, it has a correct factory box, and on top of all that the condition is through the roof. The nickel finish from its muzzle to its bird\u2019s head grip is superb, and if there\u2019s one value quality in collecting above all others, it\u2019s this: condition, condition, condition. This is an absolute stunner and could reach well above its $8,500 – $12,000 pre-auction estimate.<\/p>\n

Mr. George Lewis is what the collecting fraternity calls a \u201clifer.\u201d For over 65 years he build his impressive collection. He focused on pre-war Colts, but never turned a blind eye to those pieces that both grabbed his interest and met his lofty standards. On the forefront of Colt collecting, he also was a founding member of the Colt Collectors Association, a 50-year member of the Texas Gun Collectors Association, as well as a member and contributor to the prestigious American Society of Arms Collectors.<\/p>\n

His is a collection that all fellow collectors can aspire to, and the best way to start is by putting an item from Mr. Lewis\u2019 esteemed collection, into your own.<\/p>\n


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George Lewis amassed a collection coined by one fellow collector as, \u201c\u2026one of the classic Colt collections of all time,\u201d but in the face of such lofty praise Mr. Lewis started out like most of us \u2013 he had no idea what he wanted to collect and essentially bought what he could afford. George Lewis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1354,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}