Excellent and Desirable First Year Production Houston, Texas Shipped Pre-World War II Colt Super .38 Semi-Automatic Pistol with Factory Letter

A standout first-year Colt Super 38 with excellent collector appeal, this pistol is accompanied by an included factory letter confirming it was one of only three shipped to the Texas Sporting Goods Company of Houston, Texas, on July 16, 1929—the introductory year for the Super 38 model—with the letter verifying the caliber, barrel length, and finish, and noting the grips as “Not Listed.” A high-performance variant of the Colt Government Model, the Super 38 earned a strong reputation among law enforcement officers of the period, who valued its smaller, faster cartridge for improved performance against automobile bodies and early body armor. This example is especially desirable because it has been Colt-King upgraded, featuring a King-marked blade front sight with a red highlight panel, a light reflector inlaid directly into the slide, and a dovetailed, windage-adjustable square-notch rear sight with a white highlight for enhanced sight visibility. Internally, the feed ramp and throat have been polished, reflecting period-style performance improvements. Standard markings are present on the matching-numbered slide, and the pistol also features an unmarked barrel, “1/VP” and “20” markings on the trigger guard, checkered grips, and a two-tone magazine. With its factory-documented shipment, scarce first-year 1929 production, small three-gun shipment provenance, desirable Texas destination, and distinctive Colt-King upgrades, this Super 38 is a historically significant and highly appealing acquisition for advanced Colt collectors.