Description
Item Description
Bryant Ridge Co. is pleased to present this AWESOME semi-automatic pistol today for a penny-start auction; this is the Colt Ace FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION that has been MASTER FLORAL ENGRAVED!
This Colt Ace, bearing the Serial Number #452, was produced in 1931, making this a RARE AND DESIRABLE FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION! Additionally, this example has been MASTER FLORAL ENGRAVED!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Colt
Model: Ace - First Year Production
Serial: 452
Date of Manufacture: 1931
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Finish: Blued / Floral Engraving
Barrel Length: 5"
Optics/Sights: U-Bracket Rear w/ Fixed Front
Stock/Grips: Checkered Synthetic White Grips
Action: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Standard / Floral Scroll Engraving spaced between the slide and the frame
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
Being a 1931 Colt Ace with serial 452 is a genuinely notable provenance marker. 1931 is the Ace’s first production year, so a low serial in the 400s places your pistol among the earliest examples Colt turned out — essentially a first-wave production gun. Low serials from a model’s inaugural year tend to be scarce because factories ramp up tooling and orders slowly, and many early guns were distributed to dealers, testers, or Colt personnel rather than sold into general circulation. For collectors and historians, that combination — first-year manufacture plus a very low serial — signals direct proximity to the design’s introduction and often means fewer surviving examples in original condition, making the piece especially interesting from both a historical and curatorial standpoint. The Colt Ace itself occupies a unique niche in Colt’s catalog: introduced to provide a .22-caliber pistol that replicated the look, feel and controls of Colt’s service pistols for training and sport. The Ace allowed shooters — clubs, police trainers, and private owners — to practice 1911-style handling with inexpensive, low-recoil .22 LR ammunition while maintaining familiar ergonomics and sighting. Mechanically straightforward but thoughtfully laid out, the Ace bridged the gap between service pistol ergonomics and smallbore shooting and was produced in a handful of trim levels and configurations over the years. Because it intentionally mirrored service pistols in profile and control layout, it has long been prized by collectors who value both its practical training role and its place in Colt’s broader product story. Floral engraving (often described as floral scroll or foliate scrollwork) is a longstanding decorative vocabulary in American arms art, blending stylized leaves, vines and blossoms into flowing, repeating patterns that complement a gun’s lines rather than overpower them. True, hand-cut floral work requires disciplined layout, consistent cutter pitch, deft control of depth and background relief, and an eye for how scrolls wrap around complex curves — skills that are harder to execute cleanly on small framed pistols like the Ace. When a Colt Ace is fitted with tasteful floral engraving, it elevates the gun from a utilitarian trainer to a personalized art object: the engraving records human handwork, can indicate a period or aftermarket customization, and materially increases interest among collectors who prize craftsmanship and visual harmony as much as mechanical originality.
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Model: Ace - First Year Production
Serial: 452
Date of Manufacture: 1931
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Finish: Blued / Floral Engraving
Barrel Length: 5"
Optics/Sights: U-Bracket Rear w/ Fixed Front
Stock/Grips: Checkered Synthetic White Grips
Action: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Standard / Floral Scroll Engraving spaced between the slide and the frame
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
Being a 1931 Colt Ace with serial 452 is a genuinely notable provenance marker. 1931 is the Ace’s first production year, so a low serial in the 400s places your pistol among the earliest examples Colt turned out — essentially a first-wave production gun. Low serials from a model’s inaugural year tend to be scarce because factories ramp up tooling and orders slowly, and many early guns were distributed to dealers, testers, or Colt personnel rather than sold into general circulation. For collectors and historians, that combination — first-year manufacture plus a very low serial — signals direct proximity to the design’s introduction and often means fewer surviving examples in original condition, making the piece especially interesting from both a historical and curatorial standpoint. The Colt Ace itself occupies a unique niche in Colt’s catalog: introduced to provide a .22-caliber pistol that replicated the look, feel and controls of Colt’s service pistols for training and sport. The Ace allowed shooters — clubs, police trainers, and private owners — to practice 1911-style handling with inexpensive, low-recoil .22 LR ammunition while maintaining familiar ergonomics and sighting. Mechanically straightforward but thoughtfully laid out, the Ace bridged the gap between service pistol ergonomics and smallbore shooting and was produced in a handful of trim levels and configurations over the years. Because it intentionally mirrored service pistols in profile and control layout, it has long been prized by collectors who value both its practical training role and its place in Colt’s broader product story. Floral engraving (often described as floral scroll or foliate scrollwork) is a longstanding decorative vocabulary in American arms art, blending stylized leaves, vines and blossoms into flowing, repeating patterns that complement a gun’s lines rather than overpower them. True, hand-cut floral work requires disciplined layout, consistent cutter pitch, deft control of depth and background relief, and an eye for how scrolls wrap around complex curves — skills that are harder to execute cleanly on small framed pistols like the Ace. When a Colt Ace is fitted with tasteful floral engraving, it elevates the gun from a utilitarian trainer to a personalized art object: the engraving records human handwork, can indicate a period or aftermarket customization, and materially increases interest among collectors who prize craftsmanship and visual harmony as much as mechanical originality.
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Shipping Details
Handgun Standard Shipping with Insurance $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping with Insurance $70.00
Any orders placed with magazines that are not compliant with your state, county, or city regulations will not ship with your order.
We strive to ship orders within the close of the following business day after payment and documentation is received.
Payment Details
We accept all forms of Payment including Personal Check, Business Check, PO Money Orders, Certified Check, Etc.
Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.
Payment MUST be received within 14 days.
Return Policy
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Additional Details
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About Us
From a small town hobby, to a leader in the investment and collector grade firearms industry. Bryant Ridge Firearms is here to offer the best in quality and customer service when you are looking to unload your collector grade firearm collection.
