December 6-8, 2023 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2023
Circa 1912. Per Clawson, in the early days of the military contracts, Colt was required to ship their pistols with sequential serial numbers, and a penalty was enforced for late delivery (see "Colt .45 Service Pistols: Models of 1911 and 1911A1" by Clawson, pgs. 80 and 84). To address this issue, Colt made up a number of pistols that had no serial numbers but were otherwise complete, and if a pistol was rejected, the rejected frame could be destroyed, and one of the unnumbered pistols could then have the required serial number applied, used to infill the shipment, and avoid the penalty. This is one of those examples, and careful measurements and inspection reveal that the frame has not been ground down to remove a number, and no number was applied. Front sight is a replacement with a thick blade, classic flat top square notch rear sight. Left side of slide with 2-line 2-block patent and address information, encircled Rampant Colt at rear. Colt's address information is slightly double struck, but the distension indicates that it was done at the factory. Right side with "MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY", also with distension from the roll die. Serifed "H" stamped horizontally at top of the firing pin retaining plate channel, with 2 more "H"s under the plate; these are the marks of Frank Hosmer, the first inspector of 1911 pistols, and the only inspector at first. Importantly, the horizontal "H" above the firing pin stop helps date the pistol to 1912; see Clawson's "Collector's Guide", pg. 130. Sides of firing pin channel have been polished. Barrel has "P / H" on hood, oriented to be read muzzle up. "H" and "1" marks for Hosmer and J.F. Kinnarney, an assembler, on top of frame near disconnector hole; Clawson notes that the assembler mark is required to be considered a replacement pistol. "K" subinspector proof on right side of trigger guard, US Property mark on the left side of the dust cover. Small parts comprise checkered milled relief slide release, spurred checkered hammer, thick tab safety with milled relief cut, checkered magazine release, long smooth trigger, replacement grip safety, and smooth flat mainspring housing with lanyard loop. Grips are truncated diamond checkered walnut. Punch-and-saw cut "keyhole" magazine. CONDITION: Very good, retaining the vast majority of the Colt factory bluing with some marks from handling and age, mostly towards muzzle, with scattered superficial scratches and random handling marks throughout, some silvered. Distension as mentioned. Mechanically fine, bore is very good with visible softened rifling and some mild frosting throughout. Barrel with some mild pitting visible on the exterior. This pistol came out of an anonymous early Hartford collection and represents a very scarce part of Colt history.