EARLY A.D. Swenson Colt Government Model 1911A1 1911-A1, Hard Chrome 5” RARE CUSTOM SA Semi-Automatic Pistol, MFD 1968
SOLD FOR: $4,215.00
LSB#: 1600617CG09
Make: This is a Colt Government Model pistol customized by A. D. Swenson.
Model: This is a custom Colt Government Model 1911A1 pistol.
Serial Number: 323069-C
Year of Manufacture: 1968
Caliber: .45 A.C.P.
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “GOVERNMENT / MODEL”, “COLT”, “AUTOMATIC / CALIBER 45” and with a Rampant Colt logo. The left side of the slide, the sides of the ambidextrous safety, and the right side of the frame are marked “A.D. SWENSON / GARDENA, CALIF.”. The right side of the slide is marked ““COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A.”. The left front of the trigger guard is marked “S” and at the rear with a “VP” in a triangle, while the right front of the trigger guard is marked “G”. The right side of the frame is marked “323069 – C”. The barrel is marked “BAR STO 45 ACP” and the top rear left of the slide is marked “Z”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated ramp with a fluorescent orange plastic insert in the ramp. the rear sight is a S&W K-frame white outline square notched sight screwed to the top of the slide and adjustable for windage and elevation. The top of the rear sight base is finely serrated to reduce glare.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut. The checkering shows light wear with a tiny ding in the right grip. The grips are in about Fine Plus condition.
Type of Finish: The pistol has a hard chrome finish with a serrated mainspring housing and a finely checkered front strap. The front of the trigger guard is squared-off and finely checkered. The extended safety is stainless steel.
Finish Originality: The finish is not original.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 99% of its current finish. There are several light handling marks scattered over the sides of the slide with a few light scratches on the right side of the slide and a scratch on the left side of the frame under the slide release. The serrations on the slide, safety, slide release and mainspring housing are sharp, as-is the checkering on the front strap and the front of the trigger guard. The serrations on the hammer show light wear. The grip screw heads are sharp and the markings are clear. Overall, this pistol rates in about Excellent condition as re-finished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide travel is extremely smooth and the trigger breaks crisply at 3 lbs. 6 ozs. The slide is tight to the frame. This pistol has an enlarged port, extended ambidextrous safety, an extended beavertail grip safety and a beveled magazine well opening. We did not fire this handgun.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single blued seven round magazine with a leather pad glued to the floorplate. The magazine shows light wear with spots of thinning. The magazine is in about Fine overall condition.
Our Assessment: This is a Colt 70 Series Government Model 1911A1 pistol made in 1968 that has been customized by famed gunsmith A. D. Swenson. From a March 2001 article in the American Rifleman: “Custom tuning of the M1911 is not new, but, prior to Swenson, gunsmiths such as Bob Chow, Jim Clark and Al Dinan had focused solely on accuracy work for NRA Bullseye pistol competition. Along with lightening triggers and installing adjustable sights, the Government Model had never been customized specifically for combative purposes—a genre that later came to be known as “custom combat” gunsmithing—until a handful of pistolsmiths in Southern California began modifying the big slab-sided pistol for down-and-dirty use. The late Armand Swenson remains the foremost of these pioneering pistolsmiths and the man who defined the custom combat .45 for evermore.”. This pistol has a hard chrome finish with a Bar Sto barrel, an enlarged port opening, custom target sights, an extended ambidextrous safety, a beveled magazine well, a squared-off trigger guard, and with fine checkering added to the front of the trigger guard and the front strap. The pre-Series 70 Colts had smooth actions compared to the Series 70 and later variants, and were preferred by the gunsmiths of the 70’s and 80’s because it was easier to produce a race gun when a pre-Series 70 was used as a platform. This pistol was refinished after all the custom work was done, and is in about Excellent condition with about 99% of its finish remaining. This pistol was made for the serious shooter who wanted a top performing pistol. This pistol is great for action pistol events as well as the Modern category in SASS Wild Bunch competitions. With its Bar-Sto barrel and adjustable target sights, you are guaranteed the best accuracy obtainable, and the fine checkering on the front strap and the front of the trigger guard are going to give you a firm grip that prevents the gun from twisting in your hands. This is an extremely nice looking gun that can also be used for home defense. With its extremely durable hard chrome finish, this pistol should continue to provide shooting enjoyment for decades.
