Make: Colt

Model: Government Model, Commercial 1911, purchased by Argentine Naval Commission

Serial Number: C199393

Year of Manufacture: 1941, shipped August 4.

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action, Semi-Automatic, Detachable Magazine Fed Pistol with Swartz Safety

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade staked to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a "U"-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut. The grips have minor handling wear with a few small marks and minor discoloration. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Professionally Restored by Turnbull Restoration and Manufacturing Co. The slide is serial-matched to the frame.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered minor erosion and stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 98% of its current metal finish. There is a light "idiot mark" on the left of the frame below the slide stop. The action shows minor operational wear. Otherwise, there are only light handling marks. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Excellent condition as restored.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide has minor play to the frame. We did not fire this handgun. 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 two-tone magazine and a Colt Archives letter. The letter indicates that this pistol shipped August 4, 1941 to the Argentine Naval Commission in Washington, D.C. as one of 250 guns of the same type in the shipment. A letter from Turnbull Restoration and Manufacturing Co. is also included detailing their restoration.

Our Assessment: The 1911 is one of the best pistols ever designed, seeing use in the US Military for the better part of a century and dominating pistol shooting sports for decades. It has seen quite a bit of foreign service from Britain and Russia during the Great War to the Army and Navy of Argentina who purchased from Colt between 1919 and 1941, eventually licensing production in their country.

This is a very interesting and particularly scarce example of a 1941 vintage Colt Government Model purchased by the Argentine Navy. In that year, 500 commercial pistols were purchased "off-the-shelf", with 250 shipped directly to Buenos Aires and the other 250 shipped to the Argentine Naval Commission in Washington, D.C. Upon reaching Argentina, they would be given Argentine Naval and Argentine crest markings on the slide. This example, despite having a serial-matching slide, does not bear any Argentine markings, though Colt records do indicate it shipped to the Naval Commission. Most likely used for the annual US Navy vs Argentinian Navy pistol competition. Due to all of Colt's manufacture going to the military, there were very few commercial Colt 1911s produced during 1941, and this example also has the rare Swartz safety.

It is a beautiful Government Model with a very interesting history, perfect for any collection.