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The serial number of Ruby's Colt was 2744LW (note the LW stands for Light-Weight). The Jack Ruby Colt Cobra was returned to his estate many years later and was sold at auction. An anonymous New Jersey gun collector paid $220,000 for it. Colt Cobra: Nickel plated alloy (15 oz.).38 six shot revolver. Colt COBRA 2 SERIES EXCELLENT -.38 ACP $895.00: 0 $895.00 4d 12h 51m 17145781. Colt Python 357 with 6' Barrel Shoots Great (B8368-18) Dated 1978 -.357.

The Gun That Killed Lee Harvey Oswald: .38 Colt Cobra

On the 24th November America’s most important prisoner was being transferred to Dallas County jail. Two days earlier 24-year old Lee Harvey Oswald had shot and killed President John F. Kennedy with a scoped Carcano carbine from the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas. Oswald had been picked up just hours after the shooting and had been in custody since. After two days of interrogation and continual denial of the crime despite apparent evidence he was to be transferred from the Dallas Police Department Headquarters to the County jail.

Since the President’s assassination Dallas and Oswald had become the focus of the world media’s attention. Hundreds of journalists from across the globe flocked to gather stories about the assassination. On the morning of the 24th many of these journalists gathered in the Basement of the Dallas Police headquarters to get a glimpse and maybe a comment from the President’s assassin. Stood among the press was Jack Ruby.

Colt Cobra Serial Number Date

Ruby was a Dallas nightclub owner, originally from Chicago he had a criminal past and numerous links to the mob. At 11:21 am Ruby stepped out of the crowd of reporters and fired his .38 special Colt Cobra (see image #3) into Oswald’s abdomen damaging several organs including his stomach and several arteries. The wound was fatal and despite being rushed to the same hospital Kennedy had been rushed to two days earlier Oswald died at 1.07 pm.

The Colt Cobra was initially designed to be a lightweight carry or back-up gun for off duty police officers. Lighter than the already popular all-steel Colt Detective Special, the Cobra was made from an aluminium alloy weighing just 430g. It quickly became popular within the civilian market as well. Predominantly chambered in .38 special the Cobra held six rounds and came in varied barrel lengths with 2 inches being the most popular. Ruby’s Cobra comes with an aftermarket hammer shroud, offered by Colt, which enabled fast drawing from concealed holsters but also enabled single action firing. The pistol also has a number of etchings on the receiver and frame, these were made by officers who handled the pistol and investigated the case. The initials (including MJ and LM) and dates of carving are clearly visible for a number of officers.

Ruby’s Dallas Police mugshot

Moments after shooting Oswald, Ruby was wrestled to the ground by Dallas police. Photographers and press present on the day have described how the crowd that had gathered were in no way checked and no security arrangements appear to have been in place. Ruby gave his motive as wanting to spare Kennedy’s widow the ordeal of a trial and having to face her husband’s killer. Convicted on the 14th March 1964 Ruby was sentenced to death for the malicious murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. Ruby appealed and was granted a fresh trial however on the 3rd January 1967 died from a pulmonary embolism, a complication of the lung cancer he was suffering from.

Jack Ruby’s gun was returned to his brother Earl Ruby after Ruby’s conviction and death. Earl sold the revolver through Herman Darvick Autograph Auctions on 26th December 1991, for $220,000. Oswald’s murder only added to the conspiracy theories that surround the assassination of John F. Kennedy but regardless of conspiracy Oswald’s death robbed the country of any closure on the assassination that Oswald’s trial may have given.

For an account of JFK’s assassination click here. For more on the 50th anniversary of the assassination click here.

Sources:

Colt Cobra Serial Number Dates

Colt Cobra Serial Number Location

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