Mint Colt Model 1911A1 1911-A1 .45 ACP Semi Auto Pistol, MFD March 1943 WWII – C&R OK

Sold For: $4,505

Make: Colt Frame and Slide

Model: 1911-A1

Serial Number: 890100

Year of Manufacture: March 1943 (Clawson’s Colt .45 Service Pistols)

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Automatic with Removable Magazine

Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “Patented Apr.20,1897. Sept.9,1902 / Dec.19,1905, Feb.14,1911, Aug. 19,1913”, with a Rampant Colt logo, and “Colt’s PT.F.A. Mfg. Co. / Hartford, Ct. U.S.A.” The left side of the frame behind the trigger is marked with a boxed “GHD” (Guy H. Drewry Lt. Col., USA) and behind the magazine release with a “P”. The left front of the trigger guard is marked “M” and with the “VP” proof. The top of the slide in front of the rear sight is marked “P”. The right side of the frame is marked with the Ordnance Department “crossed cannons” final inspection mark, “United States Property / No 890100” and “M1911A1 U.S. Army”. The right side of the trigger guard is marked “99” at the front. The left side of the barrel above the lug is marked “COLT 45 AUTO”, the barrel in front of the lug is marked “S” and the left side of the lug is marked “P”. The underside of the slide at the back right corner is marked “Z” and what appears to be a “U”. The bottom of the slot on the right side is marked “G”. The back of the slide behind the firing pin retainer is marked “890” and “100”. The flat at the rear of the frame under the slide is marked with a “G” overstamped with an “S”.

Barrel Length: 5”

b> Sights / Optics: This pistol is mounted with a short rounded blade front sight fixed to the slide and a flat topped square notch rear sight dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered reddish brown plastic. The grips show no marks. The checkering is sharp and without flaws. The grips rate in about Excellent overall condition.

Type of Finish: The slide and frame have a dark Parkerized finish and the barrel is blued. The backstrap is checkered.

Finish Originality: There are no marks under the finish to indicate this pistol was refinished, and the finish appears to be original. The slide correctly shows the two tone line from the heat treating. The trigger guard markings are very sharp. The Ordnance Department Inspection Stamp appears like it MAY be under the finish, and it should have been struck after the finish was applied. It is possible that it was struck after, as the marking is still quite crisp and appears to have rubbed the finish at the bottom, indicating finish was not applied afterwards. That said, we see no “white” metal within the mark. We truly believe the gun to be factory original and have almost no doubt.

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 97% of its metal finish. The slide shows light handling marks with two tiny spots of surface loss on its left side. The underside of the frame shows two light marks, there is a mark through the finish on the front strap and the bottom of the grip shows two tiny marks through the finish. There is also a mark through the finish under the slide release. The checkering on the mainspring housing shows several tiny marks in the finish and the checkering on the left side of is shallow – we are not sure if this is from wear or if it was made that way during the height of the war. The checkering on the hammer, safety, slide release and magazine release is sharp. The screw heads are sharp, and the markings are clear. Overall, this pistol rates in about Excellent condition.

Mechanics: The trigger pull is a little stiff with a slight amount of creep. The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one Parkerized magazine marked “Colt / .45 Auto.” on the floorplate and it is in Excellent condition with only minimal wear and light handling marks in the floorplate. It also comes with a brown leather holster and belt. The 2” wide belt has a rectangular metal buckle with a nickel finish and twin prongs which is secured with rivets. It is a reddish brown color that is almost Oxblood. The leather has 9 sets of holes that would accommodate waist sizes from 34 ½ to 44”. There is a label/stocker on the inside of the belt marked “Made In / Germany / STURM”. The belt shows minor handling marks and is in about Fine condition and of modern production. The holster is similar in color to the belt, but with a slightly browner tint. It is made from a two pieces of leather sewn together back to back to form a smooth surface on both the inside and outside of the holster. The back side is folded over to form a flap, which is secured with a brass stud on the outside of the holster. There is a piece of leather riveted to back of the holster with brass rivets that has two slots for a 2” wide belt plus a brass colored hook for attachment to a web belt. The hook has a belt slider attached for mounting over a belt, and has brass eyelets for the hook. There are also eyelets at the bottom of the holster for a tie-down string. The inside of the holster has a piece of leather added at the bottom as a stiffener, and at the top to press against the trigger guard to form a secure pocket for the pistol. The leather is soft and flexible. It shows scuff marks in the finish with wear around the hole in the top flap for the stud and finish loss on all edges. The brass rivets and stud show verdigris. The stitching is intact. Overall, the holster is in about Good condition and appears quite a bit older than the belt.

Our Assessment: The 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through both World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam wars. They gained a reputation as a reliable handgun with plenty of stopping power, and are held in high regard by those who have used them. This is a WWII manufactured Colt 1911A1 pistol with all correct markings for a Colt pistol made in early 1943. The finish appears original, but the Ordnance Department Inspection Stamp was struck sort of shallow and doesn’t really looking like it was struck after the finish was applied, so we are not sure. The pistol is in Excellent condition with just a few small marks in its finish. It should attract a lot of attention from Colt collectors and collectors of WWI/WWII military firearms.

Mint Colt Model 1911A1 1911-A1 .45 ACP Semi Auto Pistol, MFD March 1943 WWII - C&R OK
Mint Colt Model 1911A1 1911-A1 .45 ACP Semi Auto Pistol, MFD March 1943 WWII – C&R OK