Colt 1911 Government Model Marine Corp Issue .45 Blue 5” SA Semi-Automatic Pistol & Letter 1915 C&R

SOLD FOR $14,025.00
LSB#: 180522TP07

Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 151891

Year of Manufacture: Nov. 27, 1916

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 151891”.  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 top rear face of the slide is marked “H”. The flat on the top rear of the frame is marked “H”,”H” and “b”, 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 without mars. There are a few tiny dings in the smooth diamonds. The grips rate in about Fine to Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: This pistol is blued with 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 89% 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 are a few tiny spots of very light erosion on the left side of the slide opposite the port. There is thinning on the edges of the slide and frame, the bottom of the grip safety, on the underside of the slide, and on the trigger guard, front strap and mainspring housing. There are dings and scrape marks in the left side of the frame around the slide release, shallow tool marks around the slide release on the right side of the frame, and tiny nicks along the bottom right edge of the slide. There are also a few light handling marks in the surfaces. The slide serrations are sharp, the knurling on the small parts shows light wear. 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. The magazine appears to have been refinished, as there are sanding marks and a few deeper marks under the finish. The magazine is in about Fine condition. There is another lanyard ring on the bottom of the mainspring housing. This pistol comes with a letter from the Historian at Colt Archive Properties stating that this pistol was shipped to The Depot Quartermaster, U.S. Marine Corps, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 27, 1916 as part of a lot of 699 pistols.

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. This pistol is in about Fine condition with about 89% of its original war-time finish remaining. This pistol comes with paperwork certifying it was one of a lot of 600 pistols shipped to the USMC at the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot on Nov. 27, 1916. According to Clawson, only about 5650 Colt M1911 pistols were shipped to the marines during WWI. This makes this pistol extremely rare, and we expect the high-end Colt collectors to be queuing-up to bid on this pistol. Be sure to check out our pictures, and good luck in your bidding.

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.