First published in 1985, this is one of many excellent books on Colt firearms and history by Wilson. It contains detailed descriptions of virtually every Colt produced from 1837 to the present day, including of course the Baby Dragoon and Pocket '49 models. On his own web site Wilson quotes Michael Korda describing this volume as "a classic... the most beautiful book on firearms ever published and a milestone in modern book design and production".

The book includes, for all models, dates of manufacture for the serial number ranges. For the Pocket '49 / Baby Dragoon these largely agree with Jordan & Watts information - except in a couple of key areas, where J&W's later (by 15 years) research has uncovered some differences. The comparisons are provided below, with the areas of difference highlighted.