Mlitary to Commercial transferred pistols...something that goes the other way

[Scott Gahimer]

I thought these pistols were interesting as well as the Comm/Mil transfers.

Here are three different commercial pistols with some military provenance or significance.

The first is a 1929 production Colt that was sold from the factory new in 1931 during the Great Depression. It has a G marked frame and a commercially prepared barrel with the 1924-style K marking and machining on the bottom. The pistol was either an overrun, or a reject that was used for the commercial market. There are other known pistols in the late 1920's with the same features.

Mr. Clawson has told me Colt's produced as much as a 10% overrun to fill the 1924 military order for 10,000 pistols. So I suspect these were simply overruns. Regardless, it is a beautiful Depression era Colt that has a permanent spot in my collection.



Sorry about the little dark shadow on the top of the slide in the photo of the right side...poor attention to detail on my part while shooting the photo. The finish is virtually flawless. you just can't see it there.

Here is an early 1946 commercial Colt...early enough it doesn't have the GOVENMENT MODEL marking on the right side. It is estimated that the GM marking wasn't added until the mid-500 range of production. This is the 507th pistol numbered in Colt postwar GM pistols. This pistol's finish rates as near new as there is. It has all the transferred military parts from the 1945 production M1911A1 pistols, including the slide which is marked with both military and commercial markings. All the small parts appear to military transfers. The barrel is a late Colt military F barrel that they simply polished to commercial standards. This pistol has the new Colt chemical (Du-Lite) blue of the day. The magazine has the same chemical blue finish and appears to be one of the new commercial production magazines produced then. another keeper IMO.




Finally...here is another commercial with some military significance. This is one of 250 1950 production Colt Government Model pistols that was shipped in consecutive order to the State of New York to replace pistols recalled by Uncle Sam for service in the korean War.

I guess the State of New York learned a lesson when their pistols were recalled, and decided to make sure Uncle Sam wouldn't try to latch onto these pistols. They had Colt's move the slide markings around to apply the PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK marking. Another new condition pistol that I think is interesting. A commercial Colt produced for a military contract...the New York National Guard. This pistol also displays some of the changes Colt's made in 1949.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[dbarn]

Absolutely beautiful. You should consider opening a museum. I would gladly pay an admission. My personal favorite would have to be your 1929. Simply outstanding.

[lenb]

I'd second that. They're all just stunning examples, but my favorite is also the early 1929. Something about these early Colts that just stands out. Thanks for sharing.

Len

[LBB]

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the bottom of the magazine associated with the 1946 production pistol. I have C237427 made 1948. it is unfired and has a pre-war style magazine with squashed "O" and no "." before the "45" marking and a pinned base.I was wondering if that is consistent with yours.

Thanks

[Truman]

FWIW, I have a 236xxx and the mag is exactly like the one shown. It has a heavy stamped 4 and a squashed O. Truman

[Scott Gahimer]

The C220507 pistol has a welded base magazine with the chemical blue, which is considered to be a new production magazine after WWII.

The magazine might have had markings polished off of it prior to finish, but it doesn't show any sign of previous markings. It just looks like a new production post-war magazine with the same chemical blue as the pistol has.

The C236xxx and C237xxx serial ranges are well after (16000-17000 guns) where Colt's started post-war commercial production.
The magazine posted by LBB clearly has the pre-WWII commercial marking on the base. It is presumably a pinned base magazine, and although I can't say for sure from the photo, it appears to have an oven blued finish.
If it is pinned base and oven blueing...then it is pre-war production. Whether it is factory original to the pistols in the C236xxx and C237xxx serial ranges, I don't know.

I've heard of some other early post-WWII pistols manufactured in late 1946 and early 1947 as having pre-war type mags with them, but again, I don't know how to prove one way or the other whether they were the mags factory shipped with those pistols.

[LBB]

Thanks for the reply. I think a definitive answer is too much to expect after sixty + years. This magazine could have been laying in the parts bin somewhere in the factory or swapped with another pistol some time in the past. It sure looks good in the pistol.