Colt 1911 Government U.S. Army Marked .45 ACP Blue, 5” Semi-Automatic Pistol, MFD 1917 C&R

SOLD FOR $3,200.00
LSB#: 180522TP11

Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number:  177357

Year of Manufacture: 1917

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 177357”.  The left side of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” and behind the trigger with a circled “GHS” (Col. Gilbert H. Stewart, Colt1911 Pistols 1915-1919). The top of the barrel at the chamber opening is marked with a vertical “P H”, which is the correct marking for a gun with this serial number, 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 “G”, “H” and “M”, and the right rail is marked with a small square box. The flat on the underside of the slide is marked “O” at the front and “G” at the rear.

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 extremely light wear without mars. There is a shallow bruise and a tiny ding in the upper diamond in the left grip and two dings in the lower diamond in the right grip. The grips rate in about Excellent condition.

Type of Finish: This pistol is blued with a lightly brushed finish and has a smooth mainspring housing and trigger. The Colt “brushed blue” finish was started during 1917 and continued to the end of the war.

Finish Originality: The finish is original.

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

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 97% of its metal finish. The mainspring housing shows thinning and very light pinprick surface erosion near the bottom. There are a few light handling marks scattered over the slide and front strap. There is also a small mark through the finish on the left side of the frame below the slide release. The slide serrations and the knurling on the small parts are sharp. Two of the grip screws show light marks from a screwdriver. The markings crisp. Overall, this pistol rates in about Excellent 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. However, the floorplate is marked with a large “C” with an arrow head in the center, which is a Canadian ownership or acceptance mark. The magazine shows minimal wear, and is in about Excellent 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 has a brushed blue finish that was instigated in 1917 because the Army thought the bright blued finish was not durable enough. The pistol is in about Excellent condition with 97% its original finish remaining. The bore is bright with sharp rifling and no erosion. The only negative for this pistol is the two-tone magazine that has a Canadian ownership mark on the floorplate. We think the collectors are going to be standing in line to bid on this pistol. It is one of the nicest WWI government issued 1911’s that we have seen in a long time.

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.