Colt 1911 Government Model WWI U.S. Army .45 ACP Blue 5” SA Semi-Automatic Pistol, MFD 1915 C&R

SOLD FOR $7,025.00
LSB#: 180522TP15

Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number:  124808

Year of Manufacture: Oct. 1915

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. AUG.19,1913” 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. ARMY”. The right side of the frame is marked “N^O 124808”.  The left side of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” and behind the trigger with a circled “GHS” (Col. Gilbert H. Stewart, Colt 1911 Pistols 1915-1919). The top of the barrel at the port opening is marked with a vertical “P H”, which is the correct marking for a gun with this serial number, the left side of the lug is marked “J” and the underside of the barrel in front of the lug is marked “5”. The top rear face of the slide is marked “H”. The flat on the top rear of the frame is marked “H” and “R”, and the right rail is marked with a small square box.

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. The checkering shows light wear with a small mar near the front edge of the left grip. There are several handling marks in the smooth diamonds with a tiny chip at the top of the grip screw in the upper left diamond. The grips rate in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: This pistol is blued and has a smooth mainspring housing and trigger.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with sharp rifling. There is extremely light erosion scattered throughout the bore.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 94% of its current metal finish. There are very light wire wheel marks under the finish that weren’t polished completely out, that are lighter than those we have seen on 1917 dated pistols where there was no polishing at all after being brushed (those made in 1917 were said to have a “brushed blue” finish). There is a small spot of pinprick surface erosion on the mainspring housing and several tiny spots of solid erosion on the front strap. There is thinning on the front strap, mainspring housing and the edges of the slide and frame. There are marks through the finish on the right underside of the slide from rubbing on the frame, a scratch and a tiny ding in the left side of the slide, and a very few very light handling marks in the remaining surfaces. The slide serrations are sharp, the knurling on the hammer and magazine release shows light wear, and the knurling on the other small parts is sharp. The grip screws are sharp. The markings are clear but shallow in spots. Overall, this pistol rates in about Fine 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. There is minimal wear in the body of the magazine, but there is a spot of pinprick surface erosion on the floorplate. The magazine is in about Fine condition. There is another lanyard ring on the bottom of the mainspring housing.

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. This is a Colt Model 1911 that was made during WWI and has the correct government inspection marks and proof marks, and a barrel with the correct markings for the serial number range of the pistol. The pistol is in about Fine condition with about 94% of its original war-time finish remaining. This is a very clean looking pistol that will display well from either side, and we think the high-end collectors will be anxious to add it to their 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.