Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company began putting serial numbers on its pistols with the Paterson Pocket, sometimes called the Baby Colt Number 1. Manufactured in Colt's plant in Paterson, NJ in 1837, the serial numbers for that series were 1-500. The company has been marking its guns with serial numbers ever since. The serial numbers served to identify the gun, should it be lost or
. stolen. This was especially important in law enforcement and proved to be invaluable in war time, where guns often ended up in the hands of the enemy. In modern times, the same holds true for the serial numbers, but they also assist antique gun collectors in their hobby.Colt keeps excellent records of its pistols and their respective serial numbers. The numbers on Colt pistols can be found on the handle, slide or inside the gun itself. Many collectors have been able to identify their weapons with the assistance of the company. Historians too, benefit from these records. In the early 1900's, the very first Colt Single Action Army pistol was found in Nashua, NH. It bore the serial number 1, the first of its kind. These serial numbers are a kind of timeline, giving one a glimpse into the history of the gun and its owner(s).Serial numbers have been required on pistols since the Gun Control Act of 1968, enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law required all new guns manufactured in the United States or imported into the country be marked with an identifying number. Law enforcement, in particular, has benefited greatly from the ability to identify the owners of firearms. Manufacturer's methods are so thorough that even if one succeeds in "erasing" the serial number, forensic scientists can use tools to "read" traces of the etching invisible to the human eye and thus identify the number.
