Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 20421

Year of Manufacture: 1913 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup). Shipped on January 23, 1913 to the Commanding Officer at Benicia Arsenal as part of a shipment of 500 1911s (Clawson p. 380).

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a round blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a round-top "U"-notch sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with smooth “double diamonds” around the grip screws. The grips have even light wear with scattered nicks and scuffs. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good Condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered light erosion and stubborn copper fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas. There is some other more minor wear, most notable on the top-right of the slide toward the muzzle. Some worn areas are going to a light patina and there are some scattered spots of minor surface oxidation. There are some light nicks and scratches including an "idiot mark" under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good Condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one original US WW1 Type III 1911 “two tone” partially blued “lanyard loop” 7-round magazine.

Our Assessment: The Colt 1911 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol was designed by the legendary firearms inventor John Moses Browning, and developed for the US Army after the .38 LC revolver failed to stop charging Moro warriors in the Philippines. The US Army issued the powerful .45 to officers, NCOs, and machine gunners in the Punitive Expedition and World War 1. The Model 1911 was the end-result of a series of developments by Browning, starting with his 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, but he also developed the concept of "the slide", a feature now synonymous with semi-automatic handguns. 

This US Army Pre-WW1 Colt Model 1911 .45 Semi-Auto Pistol was made in 1913, before the outbreak of the Great War, and is in Very Good Condition. It displays a host of early features, including a short-spur hammer, long-leg guide rod, early firing pin plate, and early thumb-safety, and is among the first to have a Rampant Colt marked on the slide that is not encircled. Based on the serial number, this pistol shipped on January 23, 1913 to the Commanding Officer at Benicia Arsenal as part of a shipment of 500 1911s (Clawson p. 380). It boasts a 5” barrel, 80% of its original blued finish, martial markings, classic two-piece checkered walnut grips with smooth “double diamonds” around the grip screws, an original (though slightly later made than the pistol) WW1 Type III “two tone” partially blued “lanyard loop” 7-round mag, and a semi-bright bore with sharp rifling (there’s some scattered light erosion and stubborn copper fouling). This is a scarce example of an early, pre-WW1 Colt Model 1911.