Make: Colt

Model: Model of 1911, U.S. Navy

Serial Number: 10530

Year of Manufacture: Shipped November 5, 1912 To U.S. Navy Yard, Brooklyn

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short rounded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a round-top “U” notch dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. The grips have light handling wear with some scattered compressed checkers. There are some tool marks around the screw heads. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray with sharp rifling. There is evenly scattered light erosion and stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The grip areas are mostly worn to white. There is scattered wear along the slide, mostly on the top and bottom. There are some light nicks and scratches with infrequent minor oxidation. There is a thin "idiot mark" under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The top of the chamber shows rough polishing. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good-Very Good condition.

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 7-round punch and saw-cut magazine with lanyard-ring floorplate and a 1915-dated Rock Island Arsenal M1912 holster with leg-strap.

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.

Early production saw alternate shipments of pistols to the Army and Navy and this pistol was shipped in early November 1912 to the U.S. Navy Yard in Brooklyn, NY. It has a number of early features including its square-edge thumb safety, long-leg guide rod, under-cut slide release and small radius firing pin plate.

The U.S. Navy contract pistols are among the more desirable of early 1911 production, and this pistol is from the second-to-last shipment of the Navy's first order for 7,000 of the pistols. This order was completed in the first year of production, 1912, with an additional 6,500 Navy marked pistols delivered between 1913 and 1915. Thousands more were delivered in 1918 and 1919, but these late Navy pistols were actually marked "U.S. Army"!

This early Navy Model 1911 is in Good-Very Good condition retaining about 60% of its blue finish with a decent bore and strong mechanics. While the top of the chamber shows rough polishing, the rear face of the chamber hood has the correct sans-serif vertical "H" marking. All in all, it is a nice example of an early Navy Model 1911 and comes with a correct punch and saw-cut magazine as well as an M1912 holster. This pistol is destined for a high-end Colt collection. Please see our photos and good luck!