Make: Colt

Model: M1911A1

Serial Number: 795132

Year of Manufacture: 1942 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup), and was shipped to Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, California on July 24, 1942.

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a flat-top square-notch sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic panels. The right panel is "Coltwood" with large reinforcement rings around the grip screws, reinforcement ribs on the interior, and a mold number where the ribs cross. The left panel is Keyes Fibre with reinforcement rings and ribs. The grips have light nicks, scuffs, and scratches, more in the left panel than the right. There are tool marks in the reinforcement rings. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good Condition as not an original matched set.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The slide is a Numax Electronics replacement from the 1970s-1980s. The dust cover shows treatment with cold blue where the name/initials were marked.

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

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 85% of its metal finish. The left of the dust cover has been stamped "J.W. Galiher" over electro-pencil markings, the right has "J.W.G." in electro-pencil. The areas around these markings show treatment with cold blue. The right of the frame is stamped "J.W.G." behind the grip. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs, and scratches. 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 about Very Good Condition as not parts-original.

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 WW2 Scovill 7-round blued magazine marked "S" on the top of the toe plate. The magazine body has extensive finish wear and some light oxidation.

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, World War 1, and World War 2. In 1926, the 1911-A1 iteration introduced the arched mainspring housing, shorter trigger, and relief cuts behind the trigger on the frame.

This US WW2 Navy Shipped & Sailor Named Colt M-1911A1 Semi-Auto Pistol was made in 1942, and was shipped to Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, California on July 24, 1942. It’s in Very Good Condition as not parts-original, having been fitted with a Numax Electronics replacement slide produced in the 1970s-1980s. The slide is fully hardened, a nice feature if you wish to shoot the pistol. The shipping destination of the frame helped track down the significance of the name "J.W. Galiher" which has been marked on the dust cover. Navy records indicate that James W. Galiher of Rochester, New York served on the USSWharton (AP-7) during WW2. Originally the passenger-cargo liner Southern Cross, the ship was acquired by the US Navy in November 1939, and was among the first "AP" designated transports, equipped with four 6-inch guns and eight .50 caliber machine guns, and refitted as a troop transport. Prior to the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Wharton kept busy shuttling personnel and cargo between San Francisco, San Diego, and Pearl Harbor. After the attack, the Wharton transported troops all across the Pacific, and even up to the Aleutians. Navy muster rolls confirm that Mr. Galiher served on the Wharton in 1942. We can't say for how long he continued to serve on the Wharton, but if it was through the end of the war, he would have been involved in the Marshall, Mariana, and Philippine islands campaigns, as well as the Battle of Okinawa. This pistol features a 5” barrel, 85% of its original (to the parts) parkerized finish (the dust cover shows treatment with cold blue where the name/initials were marked), the name or initials of J.W. Galiher marked on the frame in three places, martial markings, mismatched two-piece checkered brown plastic “Coltwood” and Keyes Fibre grips, an original US WW2 Scovill 7-round blued magazine marked "S" on the top of the toe plate, and a semi-bright bore with sharp rifling (there’s scattered minor erosion, mostly toward the chamber-end, and stubborn copper fouling). This Navy Shipped & Sailor Named Colt M-1911A1 is an interesting piece, and its connection to Mr. Galiher adds to its historical significance. This would make a wonderful addition to any US martial arms collection.