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LOT 344
Documented Historic
World War I Era U.S.
Marine Corps Shipped
Colt Model 1911 Semi-
Automatic Pistol with
World War I “Hate Belt”,
Photographs, and Documents
Attributed to Corporal Andrew Liebler - Serial no. 37024, 45
ACP cal., 5 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in
1913, this is a fine example of a World War I era, United States Marine Corps
shipped, Colt Model 1911 pistol. During the course of World War I, 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. Included with the pistol are
a plethora of accessories and documents which are attributed to Corporal
Andrew P. Liebler. One of the included document lists Liebler as enlisting on
26 April 1918, serving in the 801st Stevedore Battalion of the Transportation
Corps, and being discharged on 10 January 1920. The stevedore battalions
were very important in supporting the American Expeditionary Force
during World War I. These units, many of which consisted of African
American troops, were tasked with serving in ports in both the U.S. and
in France, disembarking supplies and equipment, as well as refueling and
resupplying the supply vessels themselves. Included with the pistol is a
magnificent “hate belt” which features buttons, medals, and insignia from
various nations involved in the war, both allied and enemy, even including
a 1914 dated iron cross. Liebler’s position in the ports where a wide variety
of troops and prisoners were coming and going positioned him perfectly
to acquire such a collection, possibly even this Model 1911, which had
likely been issued to a Marine Corps officer. Also included is a plethora of
photographs, some with handwritten notes on the back, Liebler’s personal
pocket diary with many pages of notations, and a variety of postcards
from France with handwritten messages from Liebler. There is also a brass
10 gauge shell that was converted into a cigarette lighter. The final item
included with the pistol is a leather saddle bag with a faint “US” marking
on the flap.
The pistol itself is listed on p. 515 of “U.S. Military Automatic Pistols 1894-
1902” as having been part of a 1,250 gun shipment to the United States
Marine Corps in Philadelphia on 9 July 1913. It is unclear if this pistol ended
up in the hands of Liebler at some point during his service in the war, or
if the accessories were later paired with it. It is a fine example of Colt’s
production just prior to the outbreak of war in Europe. The left side of the
slide has the standard two-line, two-block patent dates and address, with
the Rampant Colt behind the grip serrations. The right side of the slide has
the model and U.S. Army nomenclature. The left of the frame has the U.S.
property marking and “WGP” inspection mark, while the right has the serial
number. The blued barrel is marked “P H” on the chamber hood and has a
faint/illegible marking on the left of the lug. It is fitted with the early style
blade front and rounded top notch rear sights. It has a checkered slide stop,
thumb safety, and wide hammer. The mainspring housing is flat and smooth
with a lanyard loop at the base. It is fitted with a pair of diamond pattern
checkered walnut grips and a two-tone magazine with a lanyard loop base.
1 of approximately 9,950
Colt Model 1911 Pistols
shipped to the U.S. Marine
Corps during World War I.