WWI Colt Model of 1911 U.S. Army .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol, 1918 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,525.00
LSB#: LSB250828LA008
Make: Colt
Model: 1911
Serial Number: 521953
Year of Manufacture: 1918 / ATF Classification: C&R
Caliber: .45 Auto
Action Type: Semi-Automatic, Short-Recoil Operated, Fed by Detachable Magazine
Markings: This pistol bears all correct Colt markings EXCEPT for the barrel. The barrel has no visible markings on it.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the slide. The front sight has a small ding in the face of it.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. The grips have fairly even light handling wear with some small nicks and light wear on the peaks of the checkering, but the checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The grips rate in Good condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Refurbished
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is lightly worn with light fouling. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 7.5/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 90% of its current metal finish. The finish shows light wear from handling and operation. There are some scattered blemishes scattered throughout. The action shows operational wear. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Good to Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp. There is very minor play between the slide and frame. There is a Wilson Combat Shok-Buff recoil buffer installed to protect the frame while firing (this can easily be removed if desired). This pistol has manual and grip safeties. 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 a Risdon Mfg. Co. 7-round magazine
Our Assessment: A powerful and evocative example of the original, WWI-era Colt 1911, this 1918 production pistol presents the unmistakable early-service profile: flat mainspring housing, long trigger, rounded short-spur grip safety, small military sights, and crisp “Model of 1911 U.S. Army” slide markings. The slide and frame exhibit the clean, purposeful contours of late-war Colt machining, and the pistol carries the authoritative, all-steel balance that defined the Government Model’s first generation. A 1918-dated Colt sits at the very end of World War I production, when output peaked and the U.S. military urgently expanded its sidearm inventory — the final months before the Armistice brought some of the most iconic and widely issued 1911s ever made.
The 1911 became the standard U.S. service pistol during World War I, and 1918 represents the height of wartime manufacturing, when Colt and multiple contractors raced to meet military demand. Pistols from this year armed U.S. troops in the closing offensives of the Western Front and continued in service well into the interwar years, World War II, and beyond. These late-WWI Colts stand as some of the most historically resonant U.S. military sidearms, embodying the industrial mobilization of 1917–1918 and the battlefield legacy that made the 1911 a legend in American military history. Be sure to check our detailed pictures for a better understanding of the firearm. -C.R.
