Unissued WWI Colt 1911 on GB

[painter777]

Described as Unissued and a Museum piece.

Currently @ $17,591.00
UNISSUED WWI COLT1911 U.S.45ACP MUSEUM QUALITY NR - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 792131038

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Isn't that sweet? Something I'd expect RCS to pull out of his pocket...

[frankderrico]

Or from the John Holbrook collection.

[Mister Coffee]

Sounds like Gordon Bethune's kind of purchase. What a beautiful gun. I'd have it just to stare at the finish. Can't get over the condition. Could those grips really not have aged at all?

[browningautorifle]

Every time I see something like this one, it makes me wonder how it made it and where it hid. I saw one complete with belt and holster and mags/pouch that was issued to a surgeon in the US military in WW1 and was never moved from his foot locker. It went home with him and remained there. It was perfect. You wonder if you could find the guns close to this number what shape they'd be in? Or are they buried in France? Guns like this will be surfacing still in 200 years. As new and perfect...

[rcathey]

Every time I see something like this one, it makes me wonder how it made it and where it hid.

I think the same thing. Saw an Eddystone 1917 at a local auction tonight. There were splinters around the ordnance stamps on the wood. How’d that survive? Like they always say, “if they could talk.”

[Mister Coffee]

Every time I see something like this one, it makes me wonder how it made it and where it hid. I saw one complete with belt and holster and mags/pouch that was issued to a surgeon in the US military in WW1 and was never moved from his foot locker. It went home with him and remained there. It was perfect. You wonder if you could find the guns close to this number what shape they'd be in? Or are they buried in France? Guns like this will be surfacing still in 200 years. As new and perfect...

Off-Topic: As noncombatants, medical doctors were not issued weapons. True in WWII (my father was U.S. Army M.D. in the European Theater). True in WWI?

[browningautorifle]

Off-Topic: As noncombatants, medical doctors were not issued weapons.

That's what I always thought too, our medics carried and were prepared to defend both patients and the Dr while he did his thing under fire as some did... As for how he managed to get it, if not issued, wouldn't have been THAT hard to procure. Someone here will have had a Dr relative and might know. Doubt any had a Dad in WW1 as mine and yours were WW2, Cosine26 perhaps would be old enough for his did to have been in WW1...maybe someone has a TO&E to show us...?

[Mister Coffee]

That's what I always thought too, our medics carried and were prepared to defend both patients and the Dr while he did his thing under fire as some did... As for how he managed to get it, if not issued, wouldn't have been THAT hard to procure. Someone here will have had a Dr relative and might know. Doubt any had a Dad in WW1 as mine and yours were WW2, Cosine26 perhaps would be old enough for his did to have been in WW1...maybe someone has a TO&E to show us...?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but my understanding is that, if medical personnel were to have carried weapons, they would have been in violation of international accords regarding non-combatants. The idea was that they were not armed, so the enemy was not supposed to fire on them. So, it wasn't just a matter of them not being issued weapons. They would have some real sh*t to sort out if they were caught carrying arms.

As for medics or corpsmen or what have you, I have no idea how it worked for them. But you said above that the man was a surgeon. A surgeon is not supposed to be any place where he would need a weapon, unlike a medic, who would be on the field of battle. You say your medics were armed, and I do not doubt you. Then again, there is only so much you can reasonably carry, so I wonder why a medic would want to carry weapons and ammo even if he could get hold of it. Maybe medics are considered fighting personnel (?).

I want to underscore that I am not an expert. You probably know more about all this than I do.

NOTE: I see you are Canadian. When you say "our medics," do you mean the Canadian Army?

[browningautorifle]

I see you are Canadian. When you say "our medics," do you mean the Canadian Army?

Certainly... Our Dr. accompanied us into the field, he's the battalion surgeon.

Also during the Normandy landings the medical staff came ashore immediately.

By the way, I've had enough conjecture. I was relating the story of a firearm as I got it from the auction house. Long past. None of it matters to me. That's where the pistol came from, how he got it doesn't matter. Here's the provenance I recorded with this beauty... I have lots more pics but this should do.