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Though "official" channels will tell you that
Pintos were later renamed "Paint," you will actually notice some minor
differences (primarily in the later models) —especially if you have been
lucky enough to have recently purchased one or even better—FOUND
ONE!
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As it shows here, the pinto came in a few
versions. Sometimes it also
was sold with a plastic "holster" for your belt
or leather one like
the one shown. The Pinto on the left is a more rare gold
one and
has the rarer blue grips. A good collector's item. |
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Well, I've been getting
downright ridiculous in my old age, but have been putting larger photos on this
website. But these days more people have greater bandwidth and since this is a
museum......what the heck?
Anyway, here are 3 rather nice photos of the gold
version with the turquoise grips. This Cap Gun in this variation actually sells
for quite a bit of money with the same colored bullet clip. IT AIN'T CHEAP!!!
And no, I don't have one with the clip. Send me yours if that's a
problem.
Thanks to Andy Petty for these fine photos.
Here is the Golden Tone box for the rare Pinto
photographed above.
Thanks to Robb Vann for this offering.
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When they first came out with this "little" gun
it was engraved Pinto on the side. A few runs of units were shipped and
immediately Ford Motor Company wrote a trademark infringement letter because
they were coming out with the Pinto automobile. Rather than argue, Nichols
Industries just changed the name to Paint by machining out the Pinto lettering
in the tool and re-engraving Paint over it. The word Paint is on a raised
platform because of this, whereas Pinto was engraved directly into the body of
the gun. To collectors this is important to know, because they really need one
of each for a full collection and the Pinto is more rare. |
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Cute,
huh?
Photo courtesy of "The Bid Getters"
And here's a photo of one I won in an auction.
One thing you might notice that you probably would have missed. The word
"PINTO" is much bigger on the right side than the left, for on the left side
there was less room, due to the pivot for the cylinder to flip down. You can
barely read the word on this side, but on the other side it is very
easy. |
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The Pintos have a little jeweled Circle "N" like
the Stallion 45 MK-II. Cute touch for such a small cap pistol. The paints have
the Circle "N" that is chrome and is part of the frame like you would see on
the Stallion 38 or 32 or most of the other guns.
Well, since the
Pinto was the first one made, then it must be the most valuable and I think it
is. There were several variations made, as seen in the above photo. And they
also came in boxes and on cards—depending on the market to which they were
sold.
I
personally always liked this Cap Pistol, as it was cute, small and elegantly
done. Besides, it would fit in your pocket so that no matter how many times the
Bad Guys searched you, they were likely to miss this extra LITTLE bulge in your
bluejeans. So, after they had taken you prisoner, then you could arrest them
all. And win!
This little Cap Gun was single action only. Pull the hammer
back; it stays. Pull the trigger; it fires. It contained one 2-piece bullet
(brass base by Remington and die-cast bullet with a hole down its center) and a
cylinder that, with the release of a spring-activated lever on the barrel
(forward), it would swing out to the left. The barrel looked on the outside
like it held six bullets, but when you flipped it out, there was the one
standard Stallion 38-type bullet.
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A close-up of
the flip-out cylinder. The shell casing is polished so you can see
it.
A close-up of the barrel
that shows the lever. You push the lever towards the muzzle and it enables the
cylinder to flip out. |
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Here's a couple of nice photos of the gold plated Pinto with the
fancy blue grips.
These photos were submitted by Edwin E. "Woody"
Myers
This must be a fantastically
rare version of the Pinto. It's just TOO WEIRD! It has a G stock number, which
normally denotes a gold-plated Cap Gun and it has a gold cylinder, which
certainly is gold. But the card itself is so primitive that it looks like it
was done in the dead of night.
From the Chuck Quinn collection |
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