Colt Kongsberg Early Post-War Norwegian M1914 1911 11.25mm .45 ACP 5″ Semi-Automatic Pistol 1945 C&R

SOLD FOR: $1,237.55
LSB#: 180804TP10

Make: Kongsberg Vapenfabrik, Norway, under license from Browning through Fabrique Nationale

Model: M\1914, known as the “Kongsberg Colt”

Serial Number: 30767

Year of Manufacture: 1945

Caliber: 11.25mm (.45 ACP)

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Markings: The left side of the slide is marked 11.25m/m AUT. PISTOL M/1914==No 31247”, a crowned shield with a “7” in the center (probably an inspection mark) and a “Crown / Script K” proof mark. The left side of the frame is marked “30767” with a little bit of a Norwegian proof left over the serial marking. The right of the slide is marked “1945” over a script “B”. The top of the slide behind the rear sight is marked “F”. The left of the barrel above the link lug is marked “COLT 45 AUTO”. The slide stop is marked “.767”, found again on the bottom of the mainspring housing, the bottom of the grip safety, the left of the trigger and the side of the thumb safety. The left of the frame is marked “30767” and the left of the trigger guard is marked with what appears to be an incomplete script “B”.

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is rounded blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a “U” notch dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered hardwood with smooth diamond shapes around the grip screws, and the left grip is cut-out at the top front for clearance for the slide release. The grips have extensive handling wear and the right panel has a crack from the bottom edge through the bottom grip screw hole. Due to the extensive wear, it is difficult to determine originality of the grips. The bottom of the checkering is generally darker in color than the raised surfaces, but this could also be from age and oil. The grips rate in about Good overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Likely refinished. Information about these guns (in English) is scarce, early production guns were blued but finish changed to parkerizing for most of production. Post-war guns, such as this one, were assembled from remaining parts and may not have been finished to the same standards as pre-war guns. Most markings are clear but slide markings vary from deep and crisp to shallow or non-existent.

Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is sharp where not interrupted by erosion. There is light erosion scattered through the bore, mostly toward the rear.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The slide has strongest finish on the top and right flat with some scattered pinprick erosion and mottled finish on the top. The left flat shows more finish wear adn there are light marks scattered throughout the slide. The frame has a little bit of scattered light surface oxidation with handling wear on the trigger guard and frontstrap. The grip safety and mainspring housing have a uniform patina. The barrel has moderate operational wear and scattered light surface oxidation. The controls show handling and operational wear with a little bit of light freckling. The screw heads have slots which range from sharp to lightly tool marked with finish loss and the top-right screw has surface erosion. Overall, this handgun rates in about Good-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide is tight to the frame. The trigger pull is a little stiff but crisp. We did not fire this handgun. 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 magazine. The magazine has a matte finish with a flat floorplate. It shows operational wear with a strong spring and intact feed lips, in about Very Good condition as likely not original to the gun.

Our Assessment: In the early 1900’s, the Norwegians were looking around for a pistol to replace their aging Nagant revolvers. They held several commissions to evaluate pistols, but they all came back recommending Colts – at first the Model 1902 in .38 ACP and finally the Model 1911. The Norwegian parliament kept refusing funding for the pistol, holding out for a “homegrown’ design. They finally gave up in 1914 and allowed the 1911 to be adopted. Norway held discussions for Fabrique Nationale, Browning’s representative in Europe, to secure a license to produce the pistols in Norway. Production finally began in 1917 with a few hundred produced. In 1918, a few slight changes were made, which resulted in a slide release that was both extended and lowered, which makes one wonder “Why didn’t we think of that?”. The German occupied the Kongsberg factory in 1940 and remained there until 1945. During their occupation, production of pistols ceased in 1943 and 1944, with priorities given to rifles, and only the few hundred guns made in 1945 were German proofed (nramuseum.org). After the war, a couple thousand more were assembled from spare parts made during the war with production officially ending in 1947. The Norwegian armed forces liked them so much, those surviving WWII were kept in service until they were replaced by the Glock P80 in 1985 (Wikipedia). To add further value to these guns, the Kongsberg Colt and the Argentine Model of 1927 are the only two legitimate licensed copies of the Browning designed Colt 1911 that were produced out of the country. This pistol was one of the earliest assembled after the war and has a slide marked 1945. The numbered parts of the pistol match, though the barrel has been replaced. Other small parts normally numbered, the firing pin plate, firing pin, barrel bushing and magazine latch are not marked. It is unclear if these are replacements or if post-war guns were not marked on these parts. This is a very nice find for collectors of European firearms and for those of Scandinavia in particular. There were only about 30,534 of these pistols made prior to and during the war, and only a few thousand assembled after the war, making any that survived to today a rare find, especially those with matching numbered parts. Please see our photos and good luck!

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.