Colt Pre-Gold Cup National Match 1911 .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1964 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1425

LSB#: 220426EB017

Make: Colt

Model: Custom Gold Cup National Match

Serial Number: 13322-NM

Year of Manufacture: 1964 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup)

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action, Semi-Automatic, Removable Magazine Fed Pistol

Markings: The left of the slide is marked “NATIONAL / *MATCH*”, “COLT”, “AUTOMATIC / CALIBER .45” and with a rampant colt, the right is marked “COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U.S.A.”. The right of the frame is marked with the serial number. The right of the trigger guard is marked “4”, the left is marked “P” and “VP” in triangle. The top of the barrel is marked “COLT .45 AUTO N.M.”. The right of the sight rib is marked “BO-MAR”.

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: A Bo-Mar sight rib has been installed on top of the slide with a fixed blade front sight and a square notch rear which is adjustable for windage and elevation. The top of the rib is serrated for glare reduction.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic Keyes Fibre panels with reinforcement rings around the grips screws and reinforcement ribs on the interiors. The grips have some scattered light nicks and scuffs, more in the right panel than the left. There are light tool marks in some of the reinforcement rings. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition as not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The rib is not original to the slide.

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 94% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There are minor nicks, scuffs and scratches scattered throughout, but the finish is generally strong. There is a minor “idiot mark” under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The grip areas and controls show light handling wear. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good-plus condition as customized.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide has barely perceptible play to the frame. We did not fire this handgun. As with all previously owned firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 7-round magazine, showing light operational wear, intact feed lips and a strong spring.

Our Assessment: In the mid-1900s the 1911 was used for all manner of pistol competitions, but the base Government model typically needed some tweaking and modification to get the best performance. In 1957, Colt introduced their Gold Cup National Match, an out-of-the-box, purpose-built target pistol with adjustable target sights, hand-fit parts, serrated grip frame and adjustable trigger. This example is from 1964, a quite early Gold Cup made a few before the pistols would actually be marked “GOLD CUP”. It appears to have been set up for its intended purpose as a target pistol with a Bo-Mar full-length rib and target sights installed on the slide. The pistol is in Very Good-plus condition, retaining about 94% of its metal finish, a great bore and strong mechanics. All of these old National Match pistols are collectible, this example will make a great addition to a collection, especially if you’d actually like to take one to the range and see what it can do. Please see our photos and good luck!