Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 577129

Year of Manufacture: 1918

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Automatic

Barrel Length: 5", High Standard

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a King's white-outlined square-notch dovetailed and screw set to the slide. Replacement of the sights attributed to Major Marshall.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered Franzite faux-pearl plastic panels. The grips show even light handling wear with some discoloration from age. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The grips show minor shrinkage, fairly tight on the bushings. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition. Replacement grips attributed to Marshall.

Also included is a set of checkered wood double-diamond grips. The additional grips show minor wear with well defined checkering. There are no chips or cracks. Overall Fine-plus condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished. The barrel is a WWII-era replacement part.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, just a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 87% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches with a minor "idiot mark" under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished and not parts-original.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. 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 single two-tone lanyard-loop magazine, 1943 Boyt M7 shoulder holster with "J.W. MARSHALL / 0-307006 ACD" written on the back, the additional grips described above, newspaper clippings about Major Marshall, printout of Dave Workman's Guns Magazine article "Pistol With a History", Joseph Marshall's memoirs, his photography book Show of Hands, and a copy of The FBI Story by Don Whitehead.

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. The design was the end-result of a series of developments by famous gun designer John Browning, starting with the Model 1900. The advances made by Browning were revolutionary at the time, and were so successful that they are considered commonplace today. Browning not only developed first a pivoting and then a tilting barrel to allow for a locked system, he developed the concept of "the slide", which is now synonymous with semi-automatic handguns.

This example was likely made just after the end of WWI in 1918. It is, as noted by Dave Workman in Guns Magazine, a "Pistol With a History". The pistol is attributed to Joseph W. Marshall, who had quite the story. Born in South Dakota, Marshall would become an FBI agent, serve in WWII and the Korean War, teach high school, and become a fairly prominent photographer. During WWII he was in the CIB theatre, serving as a Colonel in the Chinese Nationalist Army while a Captain in the U.S. Army. He went on to serve in Korea, and there's even a photo of him carrying this pistol with its Franzite grips at Inchon. After service, he was a high school teacher including photography class. His interest in photography went back to his service years, even getting the attention of J. Edgar Hoover for his photos from Korea. This pistols documented history will make it a prime addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!