Pre-War Colt National Match Government 1911 .45 Semi-Auto Pistol, 1941 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,270.56
LSB#: LSB250525MC018
Make: Colt
Model: 1911
Serial Number: C201095
Year of Manufacture: 1941 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade staked to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide. Special order features were common on the pre-war National Match pistols, it is not clear if these are the original sights.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood. The right panel is plain while the left has a severe smooth thumb-rest for a right-handed shooter and checkering below the thumb-rest. The grips have minor handling wear with only a few minor marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine-Excellent condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Refinished, the slide is serial-matched to the frame. The barrel has correct circled “MB” marking and its finish appears Original. The guide rod has a vertical slot where it meets the link, it appears to be intended to center the guide rod on the link, but it is not clear if it is an original part/feature.
Bore Condition: The bore is gray with well defined rifling. There is light erosion and pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 5-6/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its current metal finish. Most of the balance is in scattered minor surface oxidation and operational wear. There are a few other scattered light marks. There is evenly scattered moderate erosion and pitting under the finish. There is finish wear in the slide serrations. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to worn or obscured by erosion. Overall, the pistol is in about Good condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp and the slide has light play to the frame. 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 7-round risdon magazine.
Our Assessment: Colt’s National Match pistols were first advertised as a factory option in 1932, with a prototype having been sent to the Camp Perry matches in 1930. The National Match pistol was essentially a factory target pistol built on the Government Model frame, but with a hand-honed action, match barrel, and Patridge sight. Production would be continued until 1942 and resumed in 1957; at that time it was re-branded as the Gold Cup National Match.
This pre-War Colt National Match Government Model was made in 1942 and has seen at least a little work since then. Many of the pre-war National Match pistols were ordered with special features, but the taller sights on this example may be replacements. The grips are after-market replacements with the thumb-shelf left panel having notably nicer grain than the right. It features a 5” barrel marked “MB” in a circle on the left lug, about 80% of its new blued finish, a fair bore and strong mechanics. Interestingly, the guide rod has a vertical slot where it mates to the link and lug, possibly to center the rod for greater precision. It’s not clear if this was a special-ordered feature, a factory experiment, or an after-market attempt to increase performance. Any pre-War National Match pistols are highly prized by collectors. This example will be a great opportunity to restore or further iterate on a classic target pistol.
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
