Colt Model 1911 U.S. Navy Marked Pistol, June 1912 Blue, 5” SA Semi-Automatic Pistol, June 1912 C&R

SOLD FOR $17,005.65
LSB#: 180522TP06

Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number:  2510

Year of Manufacture:  June 1912

Caliber: .45 A.C.P.

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto 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” and “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. / HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A.”, with a Rampant Colt logo at the rear of the slide. The right side of the slide is marked “MODEL OF 1911. U. S. NAVY”. The right side of the frame is marked “No. 2510”.  The left side of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” and behind the trigger with a circled “WGP” (Major Walter G. Penfield, Colt1911 Pistols 1909-1914). The underside of the barrel in front of the lug is marked with a small “T” and the top rear edge of the barrel above the chamber is marked with a sideways “H” with serifs, which is the correct marking for a gun with this serial number. The top rear face of the slide is also marked with a sideways “H” with serifs. The flat on the top rear of the frame is marked “H” and “R”. The flat on the underside of the slide is marked “2” at the front and “1” at the rear.

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short rounded blade. The rear sight is a “U” notch dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. There are tool marks around the grip screws in the diamonds of the right grip and a few tiny marks in the diamonds of he left grip, with a hairline crack from the bottom left grip screw to the bottom of the grip. The checkering shows moderate wear that is worn smooth at the bottom of the right grip, with several tiny mars in the checkering along with a bruise in the lower part of the right grip. The grips rate in about Good Plus condition.

Type of Finish: This pistol has a high luster blued finish. This is the correct finish for a pre-war pistol.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with moderate wear in the rifling. There is light to moderate erosion scattered throughout the bore.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 50% of its metal finish. There are a few spots of pitting at the right rear of the frame, with a spot of light erosion on the left side of the frame below the safety and other on the left side of the slide at the rear of the patent dates. There is finish loss with a plum colored patina forming in the mainspring housing, front strap, and trigger guard. There is finish loss on the edges of the slide and frame, and thinning in the remaining areas. There are multiple small handling marks scattered over the surfaces, with scratches in the left side of the frame below the slide release. The slide serrations are mostly sharp, with two tiny nicks on the right side. The knurling on the small parts is mostly sharp, with light wear on the recoil spring plug. The screw heads are sharp with minor screwdriver marks. The markings are crisp. Overall, this pistol rates in about Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The trigger pull is crisp and the slide is tight on the frame. The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one blued two-tone magazine with a lanyard ring on the bottom, which is the correct type for a WWI pistol. Furthermore, the top rear edge of the spine is cut square, without a keyhole, which is correct for the very early pistols, SN <4500. The magazine shows light wear with spots of very light surface frosting. The magazine is in about Fine condition. There is another lanyard ring on the bottom of the mainspring housing. The pistol also comes with a letter from the Colt Archive Historian documenting that this was one of 1000 pistols shipped to the Navy General Storekeeper at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on June 1, 1912.

Our Assessment: The 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through two 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. The U.S. Navy contract pistols with the early U.S. Navy marked slides and early style small lettering and serial numbers are probably one of the most difficult of the standard issue Model 1911s to acquire. There was a total of approximately 15,037 of these early style, U.S. Navy marked slides produced in total and this was changed (to standard U.S. Army markings) after 1915 as the Army, who was the Ordnance proponent for service pistols wanted standard markings and serial number placement throughout the Model 1911 production.  So, their survival rate in original unaltered condition is extremely low, since they were in service for the next 80 years. This is a Colt Model 1911 that was made in the first year of production, 1912, and was one of 2^nd lot of 1000 shipped to the Navy General Storekeeper at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The pistol has the correct inspection and proof marks and comes with a letter from the Colt Archive Historian documenting its pedigree. The barrel and magazine are of the correct type for a pistol with a SN less than 4500. The pistol is in about Very Good condition with 50% of its original bright blue metal finish remaining. This is a very early Colt 1911, and the Navy marked pistols were among the rarest. In addition, the early Type 1 magazine is extremely rare and very collectable. This pistol is destined for a high-end Colt collection.

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R eligible handgun CAN be transferred as a dealer sale in California and CAN be sold as a Private Party Transfer (PPT) at our Simi Valley shop. All cartridge firing handguns (even C&R’s and antiques) sold to a California resident must be DROS’d. This does not apply to out of state residents.