Very Rare Whitney Wolverine Nickel Plated 22 LR 4.5″ Pistol C&R 1 of 500
SOLD FOR: $2150
WOA#: WY220929TM002
Make: Whitney Firearms Inc.
Model: Whitney Wolverine
Serial Number: 32076
Year of Manufacture: 1955-1962 (One of 500)
Caliber: .22 LR
Action Type: Semi-Automatic
Markings: Right side of the frame marked “WHITNEY FIREARMS INC. NEW HAVEN, CONN. U.S.A.” Front Strap of pistol marked with serial number “32076”. Left side of the pistol frame is marked with “WHITNEY”. The left and right side of the magazine are marked, “5” and “10” as round indicators. Under the right grip is an encircled ALCOA in a rectangular box with an over-stamped letter G (the Alcoa plant at Garwood, NJ).
Barrel Length: 4.5”
Sights / Optics: This pistol has front blade and rear notch sights.
Stock Configuration & Condition: This very early Wolverine is nickel plated (Only 500 were ever nickeled). The trigger and magazine follower is unfinished brushed aluminum. The stocks are dark brown plastic, checkered with one screw holding each grip to the frame. The grips show some light abrasions and small flecks of plastic edging away from the body. The checkering is still sharp and well defined in most places. There is some wear to the finish on the trigger guard and some scratches on the front strap around the serial number where some of the finish is flecking off. The Beaver Tail and Slide shows some significant loss to the finish in condensed spots. The most amount of finish loss is under the beaver tail where most of the finish has rubbed away. Please see out photos for a better understanding of the condition of this pistol.
Type of Finish: Nickel Plated, Aluminum Alloy #380
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is minimal to no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 90% of its original finish, there is visible handling wear and loss to the plating throughout. The gun shows crisp markings correct to the earliest of the Whitney’s. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this handgun rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this handgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Total of one original magazine.
Our Assessment: Han Solo would be jealous of this space-age pistol. Coming to us from the atomic era of the 1950s, the Whitney Wolverine was billed under the phrase “more modern than tomorrow” The Whitney Wolverine, and its peer the Whitney Lightning, were intended to capitalize on the fame of Eli Whitney and New Haven, Connecticut’s rich firearm manufacturing history, but low sales numbers cut this firearm’s production life short. Too many competitors rather than poor quality meant this firearm stays firmly in the space-age. Still, this streamlined semi-automatic pistol did earn a reputation for excellent point shooting. We could go on about the coolness factor of this pistol, but we’ll just leave it for you to bid on this piece of history and add it to your collection! This Wolverine is a must-have for Whitney collectors. A 5 digit Nickel Plated Wolverine is as rare as they come. This Curios and Relics space age pistol is ready to be added to that collection so make it better than the rest! Happy Bidding!
