Prior to GCA68, Colt contracted with ASTRA to mfgr Astra's Model 2000 Cub pistol .
These were marked Junior/Colt cal 25...or Junior/Colt cal .22
The slide has the Colt Hartford address on them
The frame is marked Made in Spain for Colt's.
No mfg'rg was done in the USA. Just turned around and sold.
Ser#'s were from
1CC to 85,600CC
with a few gaps in the 62k to 75k range
Import stopped with the 68GCA as the small pistol failed the ATF Import Point test (non-sporting handgun).
At that point Colt contracted with Firearms International in Florida to make the clone of the Astra in the USA.
** Not 'FIE' which is often reported as the contract company
Some say there were no Astra parts involved in this second version/USA mfg'r Junior pistol. Others say Astra was stillproviding internal parts.
...Another question unanswered unless you absolutely believe a particular source.
This second version of the Junior was introd by Colt in 1970.
It was discontinued in 1973.
Ser #'s for this production run are:
OD01001 thru OD120471 (Corrected)
Ser#s for these 2nd generation Juniors are of some dispute. I believe the #'s I've given are correct.
There are several sources that give slightly different #'s by shifting the zero's around and also by stating that the ser#'s were 'started over each of the years'.
There is also a lot of claims that FIE made the 2nd gen pistols for Colt with Astra parts and new mfg USA frames in FLA.
But Firearms International is I believe the correct company.
FI had an office in Fla as well. Other info states that FI made the frames and assembled the pistols in Accokeek,MD,,the same facility that Beretta would later use to build the M9 pistol.
I don't know if that's true or not or if they built and assembled them in Fla.
Does it matter?
After Colt and Firearms International were done with the pistol in 1973,,then FIE (Firearms Import Export) comes into the picture.
FI went out of business around 1975.
FIE pick up the little pistol and start mfg'g the gun in the USA as the
'Best' Model A-27'.
Colt was not involved with the FIE 'Best Model' guns at all.
Some say Astra continued to supply some internal parts. Others say they did not. This production continued into the early 80's IIRC.
The Astra/Colt Juniors are fine little shooters.
I've had a couple of the .22short editions over the years being a fan of Spanish handguns.
The last one was an $80 special that was actually in very nice condition. The guy just needed $$. He set the price.
Should hung on to it,,but there it went for some some other forgotten sparkly piece of trade .
Always reliable they were and fun to shoot.
