Thanks guys. And it is very important to note that this pistol is NOT a model 1902 or '02 Sporting. This gun is a model 1900. The '02s had checkered rubber grips and dovetailed sights. It is serial number 143 of 3,500. From what I can find, it was of the production run that was sold to the Navy, that would make this the U.S. Navy Military Model 1900. It has "US" stamped on the left side of the upper trigger guard. As for the fingerprints in the pictures, they are the resulting prints left on a thin layer of gun oil that the gun has been coated in while I was handling it for examination. The blueing underneath is actually quite beautiful and in-tact. I spoke with a Colt collector and he estimated the value somewhere in the $7,500 - $9,500 range depending on market conditions. I still would like to hear any comments you all might have about this piece. I believe it belongs in a museum somewhere, but that is just me. As an aside, Mike, I have no plans on shooting this pistol. I get all warm and fuzzy just looking at it.
