Lot 186

Rudolph Kornbrath Engraved Colt Model 1902 Military Pistol

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Rudolph Kornbrath Engraved Colt Model 1902 Military Pistol

Estimate: $20,000 - $37,500

Starting Bid: $18,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Stunning and Well-Documented "Special Ordered" Rudolph Kornbrath Master Engraved Attributed Colt Model 1902 Military Semi-Automatic Pistol with Ivory Grips, Beaded Blade Front Sight, and Factory Letter Manufactured in 1919, this is an extraordinary example of a special ordered Colt Model 1902 Military pistol that has long been attributed as engraved by the world renowned Master Engraver Rudolph Kornbrath, who was a freelance factory artisan for Colt from c. 1919 to around 1937 when he suffered a debilitating stroke. The included factory letter lists the pistol in .38 caliber with a 6 inch barrel, blue finish, and grips not listed when shipped to W.S. Brown in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 17 September 1919 as one of five guns of its type in the shipment. This particular pistol is pictured on p. 327 of "Colt Pistols" by R.L. Wilson published in 1976 as a study of the renowned collection of South Texas collecting icon R.E. Hable where it is noted as engraved by Kornbrath. Wilson also makes note of the special order bead front sight, and of particular importance the slide without patent markings on the left, checkered grip straps, and lack of a sling swivel, all of which contribute to a truly magnificent and intriguing piece of Colt and Kornbrath art. According to "The Book of Colt Firearms" by Wilson, only approximately 20 Model 1902 Military pistols were factory engraved, making this example, engraved by a known factory master engraver, a truly scarce treasure for the Colt or 20th century American firearms collector. Kornbrath was born in Austria, learning engraving from his father, who died when Rudolph was about 15 years old. Eventually he emigrated to the United States, first settling in Ohio, and later in Hartford, Connecticut, setting up his shop in the Hartford Bank building. Kornbrath is noted as having executed engraving for nearly all of America's most prominent firearms manufacturers, as well as on the guns of some of the finest European producers. In a 1933 article from the Hartford Daily Courant, which is reproduced on p. 532-536 of " The Colt Engraving Book Vol. II" by Wilson, it is noted how curious it was that Kornbrath was a world renowned firearms engraver, yet remained relatively unknown in his small, inconspicuous office in the fourth floor of the bank building. The article states, "It is not so much that Rudolph J. Kornbrath, world renowned gun engraver, is a prophet without honor in his own country as that the patrons of his esoteric art are scattered over the face of the earth..." His work can quite easily be classed among the finest in the world during the early 20th century, and also finds itself among the finest engraving ever cut on firearms. It is beyond question that any firearm touched by incredibly skilled hands of Rudolph Kornbrath is instantly elevated to among the elite within the collecting fraternity. The engraving is unsigned, but is clearly the work of the maestro Rudolph Kornbrath, showing many similarities to other known works by him, including the magnificent Colt National Match pistol serial number C176957 which we recently sold in our May 2026 Premier Firearms Auction for $264,375, with many patterns from this pistol seeming to be almost directly transferred over to the later production National Match The top of the back strap features a "DAW" monogram, undoubtedly the original owner, whose identity has been unfortunately lost with time. The rest of the pistol features stunning, beautifully executed Germanic floral scrollwork on beaded backgrounds encompassing approximately half of the surfaces. The grip straps and trigger all feature skillfully hand-cut coarse checkering. The left of the slide is unmarked, almost certainly a special ordered request from the factory, apart from the large and elaborate flourishes of engraving and the Rampant Colt at the rear, while the right of the slide has the standard two-line caliber marking. The serial number is on the left of the frame and the left of the trigger guard is marked with the "VP" proof and "1". The right side of the triggerguard has a factory "K" rework stamp. The lanyard swivel hole has been filled with a matching engraved plug. It is fitted with a factory special ordered beaded blade front sight and a flat-topped wide notch rear sight, as well as an attractive pair of smooth ivory grips with Colt medallions.

Manufacturer: Colt

Model: 1902 Military

BBL: 6 inch round

Gauge: 38 ACP

Finish: blue

Grips: ivory

Serial Number39323

Class: Curio & Relic Handgun

  • Provenance: The R.E. Hable Collection; A Prominent Missouri Collection
  • Condition: Exceptionally fine retaining 98% plus of the factory applied blue finish with a gentle variance in tone between the slide and frame and 85% of the original case colors on the hammer with some very light handling evidence and extremely crisp engraving and checkering. The attractively aged grips are fine with a few age lines on the right panel and a few very light handling marks. Mechanically excellent. A highly attractive example of the Colt Model 1902 Military pistol!

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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