Early FBI Colt Officer's Model, 1937

[R_Duke]

I found a very interesting Officer's Model Heavy Barrel .38 recently, potentially connected to an early player in the FBI. It has the name "Reed E. Vetterli" inscribed neatly on the right hand side, otherwise unaltered except an Ace trigger shoe. Serial dates it to 1937.

He was the Special Agent in Charge of several offices across the US in the '20s and '30s, with a few career highlights such as surviving the Kansas City Massacre of 1933 (allegedly perpetrated by Pretty Boy Floyd), helping solve the Brooke Hart kidnapping, and being the SAC of the New York Office when a Nazi spy ring was busted in '38 after they stole military aviation secrets. Looks like he lived a short life, passing in 1949 after serving as the chief of police for Salt Lake City during the war.

I've got a letter pending, and I'll update once it arrives and we can see where it originally went.

 

[AudieMurphy]

what ties it to this particular person? a reciept? a letter will only show what distributor it went to....not trying to rain on your parade. I have the silver dollar that Washington threw across the potomac river. I was told... its dated 1889...go figure

 

[mchom]

Admittedly I'm no expert on the FBIs procurement of firearms. But at least a few RMs were shipped directly to them. If this Colt does in fact letter as being shipped to the FBI I'd say your off to a good start.

 

[shawn mccarver]

My guess is that it was not purchased by the FBI, but by the individual agent named in the engraving. Two reasons: (1) the FBI would not have allowed it to be engraved if Bureau property; and, (2) I have never seen anything that says that model was purchased by the FBI.

The first Bureau-wide issue revolver was the Colt Police Positive Special in 38 Special. The Bureau also issued the Colt Pocket Positive, the Colt Detective Special, and the Colt Official Police, if I recall. Obviously, the FBI issued or approved a bunch of S&W revolvers.

You might have a look at the article in the NRA magazine by Bill Vanderpool or the book by the same author.

 

[mchom]

Just doing a little reading…

After 12 years in the FBI, Vetterli would run for a political office and in 1940 became Chief of Police in Salt Lake City. Assuming it is in fact his gun. He seemed to lead an active life of public service at least for a period of time.


Interestingly, during his first few years in the FBI agents were not permitted to be armed. While transporting prisoner Frank Nash there was an attempt to free Nash resulting in Vetterli and other agents being shot. Nash was killed.

Shortly thereafter agents were able to be armed.

 

[lawandorder]

Go buy a handful of lottery tickets.

 

[R_Duke]

The private purchase scenario makes a lot of sense with the engraving. I did some more digging, and I found an interesting article by the late Larry Wack regarding the early FBI pistol team, found here- FBI's Pistol Team

"... and it appears that In October 1934 the real father of Bureau firearms training, SA "Frank" Baughman suggested the purchase of "six officers model .38 caliber Colt Special revolvers with six-inch barrels " for issuance only to agents participating in shooting matches as representatives of the Division."

I also found a picture of the 1935 FBI Pistol Team at Camp Perry with some of those models, though it appears that SAC Vetterli wasn't on the roster at that time (Jelly Bryce, Baughman, and Walter Walsh were though!).

 

[Warren Sear]

Here are pictures of my Colt Officer's Model, 6" barrel, 38 Special. Built in 1927. It seems as tight and solid as the day it left the factory.

 

[rednichols]

I found a very interesting Officer's Model Heavy Barrel .38 recently, potentially connected to an early player in the FBI. It has the name "Reed E. Vetterli" inscribed neatly on the right hand side, otherwise unaltered except an Ace trigger shoe. Serial dates it to 1937.

He was the Special Agent in Charge of several offices across the US in the '20s and '30s, with a few career highlights such as surviving the Kansas City Massacre of 1933 (allegedly perpetrated by Pretty Boy Floyd), helping solve the Brooke Hart kidnapping, and being the SAC of the New York Office when a Nazi spy ring was busted in '38 after they stole military aviation secrets. Looks like he lived a short life, passing in 1949 after serving as the chief of police for Salt Lake City during the war.

I've got a letter pending, and I'll update once it arrives and we can see where it originally went.

All the surrounding evidence of the era tells us this was not a carry gun, but a competition pistol. The sights, for one thing; and that it's .38 Spl when the .357 Magnum had just appeared and its quick adoption by FBI agents of note. The likes of Bryce and Campbell set aside their .44 Spl Smiths to take up the RM, images of both men with them abound. Readers will be surprised to know that in that time agents loaded only five in the cylinder, an unnecessary carryover from the SA's era.

The image is 1945. As a side note the LAPD was allowed only .38 (Special not designated in the regulation notice) in that time; and all officers of the era earned extra pay if they were crack shots in competition (where .38 was used by such as Charlie Askins, and Tom Threepersons). Bryce was a 'trick pony' for the FBI, as was Campbell, by 1940 to demonstrate the new firepower against the gangsters of that time including Matt Kimes and Al Brady (and Ma Barker). Many agents were ex-Texas Rangers who were accustomed to enforcing with bullets.

 

[Alk8944]

I agree that this was a strictly personal firearm owned by a one-time FBI SA. Interesting to me because I am retired from the SLCPD. I was hired October 1, 1969, and worked with officers who were still on the department that had been hired when Reed Vetterli was Chief of Police. Reed Ernest Vetterli was a native of SLC having been born there in 1903.

 

[Onomea]

One possibility is that the Colt was presented to Vetterli to commemorate something or another. I think relatively few men would engrave their own revolver with their name, but as a gift to someone...

If you do have it lettered, please let us know what you learn.

 

[S-W4EVER]

... Interestingly, during his first few years in the FBI agents were not permitted to be armed. While transporting prisoner Frank Nash there was an attempt to free Nash resulting in Vetterli and other agents being shot. Nash was killed.

Shortly thereafter agents were able to be armed.

Admittedly slightly off topic, but were any FBI Special Agents armed before authorization? (We may never know.) FWIW, I wasn't allowed to be armed when I was a (non-Federal) LE Cadet but I carried my M36 in an ankle holster so it is plausible...

 

[SG-688]

.....

Interestingly, during his first few years in the FBI agents were not permitted to be armed. While transporting prisoner Frank Nash there was an attempt to free Nash resulting in Vetterli and other agents being shot. Nash was killed.

Shortly thereafter agents were able to be armed.

The late Larry Wack in his FBI history web site covers this myth propagated for some reason by Hoover. Agents could be armed before 1934. Vetterli was not, but other agents at Kansas City were armed.

Tangentially, there's a theory that one of the agents accidentally killed Nash and 2-3 other cops with a shotgun with which he was unfamiliar complicated by the restricted movement in the car in which he was sitting.

The linked articles cite a book by Robert Unger. The allegation is disputed; an online article at Revolverguy discussed some pro and con.

[Sorry. This link is dead; don't find the article at umkc at all now.]

https://www.kansascity.com/news/special-reports/kc-true-crime/article706028.html

 

[rednichols]

One possibility is that the Colt was presented to Vetterli to commemorate something or another. I think relatively few men would engrave their own revolver with their name, but as a gift to someone...

If you do have it lettered, please let us know what you learn.

Good thinking, perhaps awarded as a trophy for a match score.