Page 323 - 4093-BOOK1

321
LOT 341
Excellent World War II
U.S. “W.B.” Inspected Colt
Service Model Ace Semi-
Automatic Pistol with
Factory Letter - Serial no. SM2959, 22 LR cal., 5 inch round bbl.,
blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in early 1942, not long
after the U.S. was thrust into World War II in December 1941. The
included factory letter confirms the pistol’s configuration with a
five inch barrel chambered for .22 caliber and grips not listed when
sold to the U.S. Government as a part of factory order No. 9966
and sent in a shipment of 53 pistols to the U.S. Springfield Armory
in Springfield, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1942. Features fixed
blade front and adjustable notch rear sights, long grip safety,
checkered slide stop, thumb safety, wide spur hammer, short
milled trigger, and arched mainspring housing without a lanyard
loop. The left side of the slide bears the two-line Colt address and
patent numbers with the Rampant Colt at the rear, along with the
model and caliber nomenclature on the right side. The left side
frame bears a boxed “W.B.” (Col. Waldemar S. Broberg) inspection
mark, with “T” and “triangle/VP” marked on the trigger guard, while the right side bear the serial number with “60”
on that side of the trigger guard. Fitted with a pair of checkered walnut grips and a two-tone magazine with Colt
Ace markings on the base.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 95% plus original blue finish with some minor edge wear, some thinning with
grey patina on the mainspring housing, light scrapes and scratches visible on the front strap, and minor handling
marks. The grips are very fine with light compression marks in the otherwise defined checkering.
Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Charles Marx Collection.
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 342
Excellent World War I
U.S. Colt Model 1911
Semi-Automatic Pistol -
Serial no. 308986, 45
ACP cal., 5 inch round
bbl., blue finish, checkered
walnut grips. Manufactured in 1918 and likely included in
a nonconsecutive serialized shipment of 4,200 pistols (serial
numbers 305,617 to 309,663) sent to the U.S. Springfield Armory
in Massachusetts on May 23, 1918, as listed on page 520 of “U.S.
Military Automatic Pistols 1894-1920” by Meadows. Features fixed oval blade front
and notch rear sights, blued barrel with “P” and “H” marked on top along with “5” on
the underside, checkered slide stop, thumb safety, magazine release, and wide spur
hammer, short grip safety, smooth long trigger, and straight mainspring housing with
a lanyard loop on the base. The slide bears the two-line, two-block patent date and
manufacturer address on the left with the Rampant Colt in the center, along with model
and U.S. Army nomenclature on the right side, and “H” marked at the top of the hammer
recess. The left side of the frame bear the U.S. property marking and circled “eagle head/
S8” inspection mark, with serial number on the right side. Fitted with a pair of “double-
diamond” pattern checkered walnut grips and unmarked two-tone magazine.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 95% plus
original blue finish with some minor edge
wear, minor thinning on the grip straps
revealing grey and brown patina, some light
freckling on the front half of the slide and
frame, and some minor handling marks.
The grips are also excellent with crisp
checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
LOT 343
Historic Early Pattern
American M1 Helmet
Shell Decorated for
a Veteran of World
War II in the
Pacific - Per an
included certificate
of authenticity
from Lux Military
Antiques, this
helmet “belonged
to a U.S. Navy
medic that
decorated the
helmet in white
paint with all the
places, battles, important
dates and ships he was involved
with”; the medic is not named in the certificate. The helmet is the early M1 pattern, with the brim seam at the
front and a set of fixed chinstrap bales. The helmet is decorated with “U.S.N.” over a staff of Hermes on the front,
“Margaret” on the rear, and a set of 43 hash marks next to a small bomb on the front left. Several prominent
locations and dates are noted on the helmet, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway, Battle
of Coral Sea, the prelude to the Battle of Kwajalein (16 Jan 1943, with the main thrust occurring on the 31st),
and others. Ships listed include the USS Askari (a mobile repair ship), USS SC-744 (a submarine chaser, sunk
in November 1944 due to damage from a kamikaze attack), and USS Sumner (two ships by that name active
in WWII, a survey ship and a destroyer). Also noted are “Milne Bay, N.G./Easter, 43” (there was a Battle of Milne
Bay, but it was resolved in 1942), “Bora Bora/Feb. 27, 1942” (taken by the U.S. but not contested during the war),
lending further credence to it being a record of a medic/corpsman’s travels and not just a “greatest hits” of the
Pacific Campaign. The inner liner is absent.
CONDITION: Very good as field used, with mild wear and stains. One side of the chinstrap has been cut off. The
markings show some light fading but are generally clear and legible. A truly unique World War II artifact!
Estimate: 1,500 - 2,500
LOT 340
Exceptional World War II U.S. General Motors
Guide Lamp FP-45 Liberator Single Shot Pistol
with Original Box - NSN, 45 ACP cal., 4 inch round
bbl., phosphate finish, metal grips. Conceived,
developed, and manufactured in 1942, the “Flare
Pistol, .45 Caliber” (FP-45) was designed as a cheap
and disposable single shot pistol intended to be air
dropped into German controlled Europe, giving the
citizens of those occupied nations a way to express
their displeasure to the occupiers and hopefully
retrieve a better arm in the process. The Guide Lamp
Division of General Motors was tasked to produce
the pistol, which was constructed from a collection
of sheet metal stampings and cast zinc components
assembled around a smoothbore barrel. While
inexperienced with arms production, Guide Lamp
stepped up and cranked out over a million of the
deadly little contraptions in a matter of months. The
pistol is devoid of markings with two oiler holes on
either side of the frame, along with a hollow grip
and sliding door at the bottom for ammunition
storage. Includes a loose bound copy of “The
FP-45 Liberator Pistol” by R.W Koch, correct waxed
cardboard Liberator box with ink image on the lid,
re-printed paper pictograph instructions, a still
sealed cardboard box of .45 ACP ammunition, and a
black plastic display case that fits the pistol and box.
CONDITION: Excellent, retaining 98% plus original
phosphate finish with some light edge wear, limited
freckling, dried grease, and minor handling marks.
Mechanically excellent. The box is very fine.
Estimate: 5,000 - 7,500