In House Shipping:
Make: Colt
Model: Camp Perry
Serial Number: 1615
Year of Manufacture: 1931
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Single Action, Single Shot, Rotating Breech, Rimfire Pistol
Barrel Length: 10”
Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a Patridge blade pinned to a base fixed to the front of the barrel, adjustable for elevation. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the topstrap, adjustable for windage.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with silver-colored Colt medallions. The grips show handling wear with some scattered light marks. The wood shows some discoloration. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good Condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original, the frame and crane are serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There are infrequent spots of minor erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8 or 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is wear in the grip areas. There are a few other spots of minor wear. There are infrequent minor nicks and scratches. The worn areas show minor oxidation. There are spots of oxidation around the edges of the grip straps under the grips. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp. The barrel locks up with no play to the frame. We have not fired this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: The Colt “Camp Perry” was first cataloged in 1926 to meet the demand for a single-shot target pistol of superior grip, balance, and accuracy. It remains one of the scarcest Colt cartridge pistols, with only about 2,500 produced in total over a 15 to 20-odd year production run. With the barrel fixed in the breech block, the design was inherently more accurate than contemporary revolvers or autoloaders, but still had the same form-factor as a Colt Officer’s Model, though it was slimmer due to the lack of a cylinder or recoil shield. Despite the quality of the design and, according to a 1929 catalog listing, “Having won every official match for .22 caliber single-shot pistols in which it has been entered, including the NRA .22 Cal Slow-Fire Pistol Match, the USRA 50-yard Pistol Championship, and the 50-meter-International Pistol Match”, interest in the pistol was limited, and the model was finally discontinued in 1941.
This Colt Camp Perry Model Target Pistol was made in 1931 and is in Very Good Condition. It features a 10” barrel, 80% of its original blued finish, replacement two-piece checkered walnut grips with silver-colored Colt medallions, strong mechanics, and a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling (there are infrequent spots of minor erosion). Lastly, this revolver comes from the personal collection of inventor, founder, and President of Universal Firearms, Abe Seiderman, and should be of additional interest to collectors for that ownership lineage. A signed Certificate Of Authenticity from the Seiderman family will be included with this piece.