Early Colt Commercial Government Model 1911 .45 ACP Pistol, 1913 C&R
SOLD FOR: $5,525.00
LSB#: LSB260221TP035
Make: Colt
Model: Government Model
Serial Number: C2113
Year of Manufacture: 1913, shipped March 31.
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto fed by Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5?
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade staked to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a round-top “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide. The top of the rear sight has tool marks.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. The grips show light handling wear with a few small marks, most notable on the bottom of the right panel. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blue, Fire-Blue Trim
Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The grip screws, barrel and recoil spring plunger are later replacements. Some other small parts may have been replaced.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent light erosion and some stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 7+ out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the wear is along the slide and in the grip areas. There is some scattered light oxidation, mostly on the slide. There are tool marks and an “idiot mark” on the left of the frame at the slide stop. There are some other scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. More notably, the bottom-rear edge of the slide under the firing pin plate has peened over, preventing removal of the plate. The screw heads range from tool marked with strong slots to disfigured with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good-plus condition as not all parts-original.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly however, as noted above, the firing pin plate cannot be removed. It has both a manual and grip safety and the trigger pull is crisp. The slide has minor play to the frame. We did not fire 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 punch-and-saw-cut two-tone lanyard loop floorplate magazine and a Colt Archives letter. The letter indicates that this pistol shipped March 31, 1913 to Chas. F. Carusi as the only gun of its type in the shipment.
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 quite early Colt Model 1911 Government Model made in early 1913. The pistol has has a few parts replaced but retains early features such as the long-leg guide rod, checkered slide stop and thumb-safety, fire-blue trim on some small parts, and early serial number placement on the left of the dust cover. The pistol is starting to show its age, but is a nice example of one of the earliest Government Model pistols.
The included Colt Archives letter indicates original purchase by a Charles Carusi in 1913. While we cannot be 100% sure, there was a Charles F. Carusi in that era who was a fairly prominent attorney in Washington D.C. even arguing a few cases in the Supreme Court of the United States. This pistol will make a fine addition to any collection. Please see our pictures and good luck in your bidding!
-Bud