Lot 148

Wilbur Glahn Engraved Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Pistol

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Wilbur Glahn Engraved Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Pistol

Estimate: $10,000 - $18,000

Starting Bid: $9,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Exceptional, Highly Desirable Wilbur A. Glahn Factory Master Engraved Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Original Box and Factory Letter This is an exceptional example of a Wilbur Glahn factory engraved Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistol, a pistol which perhaps encapsulates the era of the “Roaring Twenties” in America better than any other, a decade which was marked by rising wealth, styles, and movements but also Prohibition and organized crime. The 1920s in the United States is a decade defined in many ways by its prosperity, modernity, and exuberance on its surface, while crime and lawlessness were rife on its underbelly, and these Colt Pocket Hammerless pistols are a prime representation of both, exhibiting elegant style and deadly hidden firepower. The brainchild of John Moses Browning, the Model 1908 and .32 caliber Model 1903 featured modern, streamlined designs that fit the Art Deco era, while offering dependable performance in a compact, easily concealed package. A factory engraved Model 1908 like this embodies the bold style and luxury of the period just before the Great Depression. Their concealability led to widespread use by police agencies, including the Boston Police Department and the Shanghai Municipal Police, as well as the Prohibition Era underworld. Al Capone reportedly carried one as a coat-pocket gun, Bonnie Parker is believed to have smuggled one into jail to free Clyde, and John Dillinger had one when he was gunned down by the FBI. Both calibers also saw World War II service as general officer’s sidearms and with OSS personnel. The included factory letter with this highly attractive Model 1908 lists it in .380 caliber, with a 3 ¾ inch barrel, blue finish, grips not listed, and factory engraved when sold to George W. Wilson and shipped to Honeyman Hardware Co. in Portland, Oregon, on 24 October 1923 in order no. 7957/1 as the only gun of its type in the shipment. George Wilson’s identity remains unknown; however, a man by that name is listed in period Portland newspapers as being an attorney, certainly a profession befitting an attractive, concealable pistol such as this, particularly in the turbulent times of the Prohibition Era. According to "The Book of Colt Firearms" by Sutherland and Wilson, only 235 of these Pocket Hammerless pistols in .380 ACP were factory engraved, making this example quite scarce. The engraving on the pistol was executed by the factory Master Engraver Wilbur Glahn, who was the son of German immigrants, and skillfully continued the tradition of Germanic-inspired American scroll engraving. This particular example shows masterfully executed floral scroll engraving on beaded backgrounds as well as some decorative borders, tastefully covering approximately one-quarter of the surfaces, making for a simply elegant, not overstated pocket pistol, befitting an attorney in one of the Northwest’s major cities. Includes the original box faintly numbered to the gun.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: 1908

BBL: 3 3/4 inch round

Gauge: 380 ACP

Finish: blue

Grips: hard rubber

Serial Number79763

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: Dr. Joseph A. Murphy Collection, Private Collection Naples, Florida
  • Condition: Excellent, retains 90% plus of the original blue finish with some light edge wear and scattered light handling marks, typical of a pistol carried in a coat pocket during the Prohibition Era, and crisp engraving throughout. The grips are also excellent with a few very light handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The box is fine with some mild wear, minor handling/storage marks, and a few small pieces of the end label absent. A fantastic factory engraved example of the Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless pistol, a tangible piece of the Art Deco movement, the "Roaring Twenties", and the Prohibition Era!

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000