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LOT 1303
Highly Desirable Documented 1913 Production U.S. Marine Corps Contract Colt Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol - Serial no. 36402, 45 ACP cal., 5 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in 1913, this pistol was the second gun of the second shipment of 1,250 pistols on 9 July 1913 shipped to the United States Marine Corps Depot Quartermaster in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, making it the 302nd USMC Model 1911. The first shipment of 300 pistols occurred on 6 May 1912. This shipment is listed on p. 515 of “U.S. Military Automatic Pistols: 1894- 1920” by Meadows. During the course of the World War I era (1912-1918), Colt shipped a total of approximately 9,950 Model 1911 pistols to the Marine Corps and at least 25 Government Models, making these pistols incredibly scarce in comparison to their Army shipped counterparts. Unlike the Navy contract Model 1911 pistols, many of which have a special slide marking, those that were shipped to the Marine Corps had the standard Army nomenclature, as is present on this example. The left side of the slide is marked with the two- line, two-block address and patent markings with the Rampant Colt behind the serrations and “MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY” on the right. The frame is marked with the serial number on the right and the U.S. property marking and circled “WGP” inspection mark on the left. The full blue barrel is marked on the
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chamber hood with “H P” and “5” on the bottom in front of the lug. Fitted with blade and rounded top notch sights, checkered slide stop, thumb safety, and wide hammer, short grip safety, smooth flat mainspring housing with lanyard loop, a pair of diamond pattern checkered grips, and a two-tone magazine with a pinned base with a lanyard loop.