February 5, 6, & 7, 2019 Field & Range Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/6/2019
Offered is a Colt 1911A1 with the following features: Type III front sight, square notch rear, left side of slide stamped with Colt patent information, Rampant Colt, High Standard barrel, World War I style checkered left side only safety, Colt hammer with no spurs, checkered magazine release, checkered short trigger, arched mainspring housing with lanyard loop, Keyes grips, and MS Little Manufacturing magazine. Frame has "G.H.D." inspector stamp for Guy H. Drewry. "P" proof stamp on left side of frame next to magazine release. Crossed Ordnance wheel Department Cannons lightly stamped on right side near safety pin. "e" stamp on trigger guard with a small "v" proof beneath it. Right side of frame stamped "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" and "M1911A1 U.S. ARMY" CONDITION: Gun is in excellent used condition with some silvering on rails and scattered handling marks. Top of slide has slight holster wear forward of ejection port. Slide is proper model for the frame, however does not match by serial number Grips are excellent with right grip having some wear at bottom and a nick at the top left. Left panel shows some wear at bottom with no other significant nicks or losses. Legends are razor sharp. Bore is clean with well defined rifling. Excellent manual mechanics. Accompanying this example is paperwork linking this gun to Robert Tyrell, a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps assigned to the 317th squadron. Tyrell was deployed to Kalaikunda, India, in October of 1943. The 317th took part in the Battle of China, Battle of Central Burma, Battle of Southern Burma, and the Battle of the Chindwin Valley. After the campaign, Tyrell received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster and an Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters. He deactivated in December of 1945, but remained with the Air Force until 1970, when he separated as a Colonel. In his letter, Tyrell mentions this pistol as not being the primary one that he carried, but one of several that he rotated through, preferring to carry more than one pistol during missions. This is a fascinating pistol with excellent provenance tying the gun by serial number to the Burma campaign and surviving flying the hump.