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LOT 337
Extremely Rare Documented Special Order Factory Silver Plated Pre-World War II Colt Government Model Semi- Automatic Pistol with Factory Letter - Serial no. C144603, 45 ACP cal., 5 inch round bbl., silver finish, walnut grips. Manufactured in 1925, this is an incredibly scarce example
of a factory silver plated Colt Government Model pistol, the only documented example the writer can recall. In all the Government Model shipping records listed in “The Government Models: The Development of the Colt Model of 1911” by Goddard, only two other pistols of this model are listed as having received silver finish (this pistol is not specifically
listed), making this example incredibly scarce. The included factory letter confirms the caliber, barrel length, silver finish, and shipment to Murta Appleton & Co. in Philadelphia on 23 September 1925 in a single gun shipment. The letter does not list the grips and incorrectly lists the pistol as engraved, which is likely an error in the factory ledgers. The left side of the matching number slide has the standard two-line address
and patent dates and the right side has the caliber marking followed by the Rampant Colt. The right side of the frame has the correct standard Government Model marking over the serial number. The left of the trigger guard is marked “1/VP” and the right is marked “20”. The barrel is fully silver plated and appears unmarked. All of the visible parts of this pistol have
a factory silver plated finish including the magazine. The only parts that appear to not be silver plated are the recoil spring and recoil spring guide. Includes a small brass collection type tag that is marked “0681”.
CONDITION: Excellent, retains 98% plus of the original factory silver plating, with the exposed areas showing a attractive lightly aged patina, while the more sheltered areas remain bright. The grips are also excellent with only the slightest handling marks and crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. A truly exceptional, rare, documented, silver plated, pre-World War II Colt Government Model that one could search a very long time to find another example!
Estimate: 15,000 - 25,000
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