Early Three-Digit Colt Commercial ACE .22 LR 1911 Semi-Auto Pistol 1931 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3025
LSB#: 220512CC104
Make: Colt
Model: Commercial ACE
Serial Numbers: 399
Year of Manufacture: 1931 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup), 1st Year Production
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Single Action, Semi-Automatic with Exposed Hammer and Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A. / PAT’D APR.20,1897. SEPT.9,1902. DEC.19,1905. FEB.14,1911. AUG.19,1913.” and with a rampant colt. The right side of the slide is marked “COLT”, “ACE” in a diamond, “.22? and “LONG / RIFLE”. The bottom of the slide at the rear on the left ear behind the firing pin plate is marked “A”. The right side of the trigger guard is marked with assembler’s mark “20”. The left side of the trigger guard is marked with inspector’s mark “3” and “VP” in triangle proof. The top of the frame to the right of the disconnector is marked “R”, to the left is “Y”. The right side of the frame above the trigger is marked “399”. The rear face of the slide, under the firing pin plate is marked “399” over the firing pin. The floorplate of the magazine is marked “COLT” over “ACE” in diamond over “22 L.R.”.
Barrel Length: 4 3/4”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch adjustable for windage and elevation, dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece faux-pearl panels with silver-colored Colt medallions. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: 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 85% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas. There is finish wear at the front of the slide on each side. There are scattered minor nicks, scuffs and scratches with infrequent spots of minor surface oxidation. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads have finish wear, but the slots are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp and the slide has very little play to the frames. This pistol does NOT have the floating chamber used on the Service Ace. There is a manual safety as well as a grip safety and the hammer has a half-cock notch. 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 a single 10-round magazine. The magazine has blue finish on the bottom 2/3 with the top 1/3 in the white. The body has minor operational wear with intact feed lips and a strong spring.
Our Assessment: This is a very early Colt Commercial Ace. The development of the Ace began in 1915 as Colt attempted to create a .22 caliber pistol based on the 1911 Government model design. The first Ace was assembled in 1930 and nearly 11,000 were made through 1947. While the intent was to produce a .22 version of the Government model, the Ace has a 1/4″ shorter barrel, functions as a blowback rather than tilt-barrel and has significantly less recoil than the Government model, as compared with the later Service model Ace. This is serial 399, an early production pistol which would make a fine target pistol or recreational plinker, but would also make a great addition to a Colt collection. Please see our photos and good luck!