Page 277 - Demo

LOT 397
Desirable
World War I Era
British R.A.F.
Marked Colt
Government
Model Semi-
Automatic Pistol - Serial no. W105916, 45 ACP cal., 5 inch
round bbl., blue finish, walnut grips. This pistol falls within
a large block of Colt Government Model pistols shipped to
the British Ministry of Shipping in late-1918
to early-1919, just prior to or right after the
conclusion of World War I. Many of these
pistols, like this example, were initially issued
to Royal Air Force personnel before many
were reissued in 1942 to Royal Navy sea/air
rescue units. The left side of the slide has the
Rampant Colt between the patent dates and
Colt address, each in two lines. while the right
is marked with the .455 caliber marking. The
right of the frame has the Government Model
marking over the “W” prefixed serial number.
British military proofs are visible on multiple parts, as well as “R.A.F.” on the left of the frame. The full blue replacement .45 ACP barrel is marked “SP” on the right of the lug. The pistol is fitted with fixed blade and notch sights, diamond pattern checkered grips, and a two-tone magazine with “CAL.455/ELEY” and a lanyard ring on the base.
CONDITION: Very fine, retains 85% plus of the arsenal refinished blue finish with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina and some scattered minor handling marks. The grips are very good with mild wear and scattered minor handling marks. Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500
LOT 398
Fine 1913
Production U.S.
Colt Model 1911
Semi-Automatic
Pistol - Serial no.
24527, 45 ACP cal., 5 inch round bbl., blue finish, walnut
grips. Manufactured in early 1913, this U.S. Colt Model
1911 pistol was shipped to Springfield Armory on 14 March
1913. The left side of the slide has the two-line, two-block
patent dates and address, with the Rampant Colt behind the
serrations, while the right side has the one-line U.S. Army nomenclature. The
serial number is on the right of the frame along with a faint hand scratched “PPL”
and the left is marked with the U.S. property marking and “WGP” inspection mark. The refinished, replacement blued barrel is marked “H” on the back of the chamber hood and “5” on the bottom in front of the lug. It is fitted with blade and round top notch sights, wide checkered hammer, long smooth trigger, 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 lanyard loop.
CONDITION: Fine, retains 60% plus of the original blue finish with the balance having thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina, primarily on the grip straps and high spots in the form of holster and handling type wear, a few patches
of very light surface pitting on the front right of the slide
and frame, and the above mentioned hand markings.
The grips are also fine with some scattered light handling
marks and minor flat spots, and otherwise crisp checkering.
Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 3,500 - 4,750
LOT 399
World War I
U.S. Contract
Remington-UMC
Model 1911
Semi-Automatic
Pistol - Serial no. 12883, 45 ACP cal., 5 inch round bbl.,
blue finish, walnut grips. In late 1917 or early 1918, Colt
was ordered by the U.S. government to provide Remington-
UMC with production drawings, sample pistols, and
master gauges to produce the 150,000 Model 1911 pistols the
government had ordered from them to support the war effort. In March of 1918
the initial order was increased to 500,000. By June of 1919, and the cancellation
of the contract, Remington had produced 21,676 Model 1911 pistols. Because they had been made using a different set of technical drawings than Colt and Springfield, the Remington 1911 was purged from the inventory after the war to ensure parts compatibility. Fixed sights, with the two-block, three-line patent and address markings around the “REMINGTON/UMC” logo on the left side of the slide, “MODEL OF 1911/U.S. ARMY CALIBER .45” on the right, and the “E.E.C.” and “eagle head/E28” proofs on the left side of the fame. Fitted with a “P” proofed full blue barrel, unmarked “key hole” magazine with pinned lanyard loop base,
and diamond pattern checkered grips.
CONDITION: Very good plus, 30% of the original
blue finish remaining with the balance having
thinned to mostly a smooth grey patina, most
significantly on the grip straps and high spots of
the frame. The otherwise very good grips show
some extensive wear, scattered minor handling
marks, and otherwise well-defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The Steven Preston Military Collection.
Estimate: 2,750 - 4,250
LOT 400
Historic Remington Arms
Model 51 Semi-Automatic
Pistol Inscribed for Presentation to an
Admiral of the Royal Navy - Serial no. PA68744, 32
ACP cal., 3 1/2 inch round bbl., blue finish, hard rubber
grips. Introduced in 1918, the Model 51 was developed
from patents and designs from John D. Pederson of
Pederson Device and Irwin-Pederson fame as
a hesitation-locked blowback semi-automatic
pistol with multiple overlapping safety features
and good ergonomics. In addition to the
two-line address and patent dates, the slide is
marked on the left side with “To Admiral Alfred
A. Ellison./Compliments Remington Arms Co.,
Inc”. Appointed to the Royal Navy in 1888, Alfred
Astley Ellison achieved the rank of Rear Admiral
in 1924 and was also made a Companion of the
Order of the Bath. During World War I, he was
aboard the HMS Halcyon, a torpedo gunboat
turned minesweeper, which helped repel the
German Imperial Navy raid at Yarmouth and
is credited with one submarine kill. The exact
relationship between Remington and Ellison
is unknown, but gifts from arms companies
to potential influencers of military purchasing
decisions are commonly seen as a marketing strategy. Fitted with a set of checkered and riveted
hard rubber Remington-UMC grips.
CONDITION: Very fine, with 85% of the original blue finish. The frame is taking on a plum patina, with bright gray
along the edges and scattered handling marks. The grips are very good, with some scuffs and dents.
Mechanically excellent.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000 275