1942 Colt 1911A1...just a nice honest piece
- Thread starter 6167
- Start date
- Location
- West Quebec
I remember seeing this pistol before.
Definitely 1942 production.
Here's a very late 1942 production Colt, one of the first inspected by Guy H. Drewitt.
All original combat vet with holster wear in the normal places:
-Steve
yeah, you helped me out on some info/value on it a while back. I was informed that you are the go to guy on m1911a1's
Here is mine. I bought it from a Canadian who had joined the RAF in WWII. During time spent in India, he has his Enfield revolver taken away and replaced with this Colt. He was not impressed, since the Colt was a great deal heavier. While I know it is almost unheard of for Commonwealth troops to bring home their own sidearms, the man told me this was the one he carried, not one he picked up later that was "the same". I am guessing this was part of the Lend Lease package and maybe these didn't get tracked as close? Regardless, I have it now. As far as I know it is totally original.
Another great Colt! But wait, it gets more interesting....
myenfield and Drm3n both have WB Colts with RAF provenance....Drm3n has 785826 and is that 785822 ?!?!
6167 has 785882..... If I were to take a guess where 785882 comes from, I think the most logical guess would be the RAF.
Maybe those Colts came out of the same box and were issued on the same day at the same place
Very rare to see three WB Colts in this serial range in Canada but it makes sense if the RAF was issuing them (lend lease? Maybe this RAF serial range should be noted, but where does it start and end?). I think Drm3n now you can put to rest where Tobin got his Colt, I think he also got it issued from the RAF. I would guess it's in such good condition because like myenfield's example it was issued to the vet later and maybe he decided to carry a lighter sidearm. Okay, these are all guesses, but it does make sense. Now, we dig up more WB Colts and see if we can find more information.
-Steve
Last edited:
This adds a very interesting twist Steve....there is no doubt that mine was issued and carried in a holster a bit, but it is so tight it struck me as not being issued to a line soldier at all...I had visions of it being in a holster in someones desk....a Trooper would have taken it down and cleaned it very regularly as would be the norm, but this is way too tight for that.
In a holster with a flap, only strapped on for flights towards the end of the war would result in some wear on the outside but hardly any on the inside....all 3 of these appear to be way too new for anyone to have been outside much, or in the rain at any point, and surely they never sat in a wet holster.....ever!
I have an Ithaca that shows what happens when a 1911A1 sits in a wet US holster for any length of time! Cheers
In a holster with a flap, only strapped on for flights towards the end of the war would result in some wear on the outside but hardly any on the inside....all 3 of these appear to be way too new for anyone to have been outside much, or in the rain at any point, and surely they never sat in a wet holster.....ever!
I have an Ithaca that shows what happens when a 1911A1 sits in a wet US holster for any length of time! Cheers
I think there is a definite *chance* we may be able to confirm some sort of RAF serial range/issue. That would be pretty cool.
I'm doing more research. There's simply too many nice WB Colts in Canada for them to have migrated here from the U.S. - and the fact that Drm3n and myenfield both came from Canadian airmen vets....
Paul, can you ask the fellow you bought it from if he knows who it came from?
Compare to other rare Colt serial ranges that never appear here.... I have seen hardly any 1944 and 1945 Colts in Canada but they should be a lot more common, they are in the United States....
I'm doing more research. There's simply too many nice WB Colts in Canada for them to have migrated here from the U.S. - and the fact that Drm3n and myenfield both came from Canadian airmen vets....
Paul, can you ask the fellow you bought it from if he knows who it came from?
Compare to other rare Colt serial ranges that never appear here.... I have seen hardly any 1944 and 1945 Colts in Canada but they should be a lot more common, they are in the United States....
It would be really great if you could tell us more about the vet - who did he fly with?
Do you have photos of the rig as well?
I think you and Drm3n have the most to gain from exchanging information, maybe your vets knew each other?
-Steve
As shown above, I have 827590.
Maybe mine in near mint/unissued WB Colt is from the RAF as well. In fact, I'm starting to suspect so, it came from a major collection of mostly Canadian firearms that were auctioned off.
I'm definitely noticing a major trend here and taking some notes! I think we're slowly discovering why there are a few really nice Colt M1911A1's floating around up in Canada.
I use to think that most of these were from U.S. veterans who moved to Canada after the war, or perhaps they came across the boarder in years when it was much easier to import - maybe not!
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many of the M1911A1's in Canada are actually from lend-lease, and it looks like mainly the RAF.
This has been an extremely interesting thread for me.
-Steve
Here is a photo of the web belt, holster, and ammo pouch that came with my 1911:
I also looked at the notes I had taken when I bought the gun.
-1911 was issued to the man in February, 1945 (took away his Enfield)
-he was a Flight Sergeant stationed in Jessore, India (SE of Calcutta)
-his last flight was Sept 28, 1945 on a mission to drop pamphlets
This is all the details I have. The man had actually traded the 1911 to a friend after the war for an electric motor. After a few years, he told his friend he wanted it back and they made another deal. He came to me asking what would be involved in turning it in to the police as he didn't want it anymore. After I started breathing again, I told him I would be interested for my collection. We worked out a deal and I have had it since. The man I bought it from passed away about 10 years ago. I am very glad I was able to get this and the background information.
I also looked at the notes I had taken when I bought the gun.
-1911 was issued to the man in February, 1945 (took away his Enfield)
-he was a Flight Sergeant stationed in Jessore, India (SE of Calcutta)
-his last flight was Sept 28, 1945 on a mission to drop pamphlets
This is all the details I have. The man had actually traded the 1911 to a friend after the war for an electric motor. After a few years, he told his friend he wanted it back and they made another deal. He came to me asking what would be involved in turning it in to the police as he didn't want it anymore. After I started breathing again, I told him I would be interested for my collection. We worked out a deal and I have had it since. The man I bought it from passed away about 10 years ago. I am very glad I was able to get this and the background information.
8187, that Colt is in fantastic shape! Good Show!
But what am I saying....ALL the Hawglaigs here are just gorgeous.
>> P.S. Who is the lucky member on here with the commercial to military transfer Colt M1911A1? I believe a former Cameron.
That's mine... it came from my Uncle who served in the US Army right at the end of WW2 and part of the Army of Occupation in Berlin 45-46. We had a picture of him with a holstered 1911... who knows if this was it or not... who knows... but wouldn't surprise me at all if he lifted it from Uncle Sam. Wouldn't put it past him!
Anyways... here she is... I took her apart and all the numbers match, has all the cutouts and crap for this Schwartz (?) safety thing, and is just mint. I've put 3 mags through her, and functions flawlessly, as one would expect. You can see where they peened-over the commercial S/N ... when I first got the pistol I thought someone had messed with the numbers, some scumbag stole it or something. Just my luck, right? But a little reading up on it, and there it was.
I need to get that Clawson book... but it's worth as much as the bloody pistol. Maybe one day.
Hey, Steve.... you ex-Cameron as well? Maybe we swilled some Drambuie in the O-Mess together! Would love to see your collection my good man!
But what am I saying....ALL the Hawglaigs here are just gorgeous.
>> P.S. Who is the lucky member on here with the commercial to military transfer Colt M1911A1? I believe a former Cameron.
That's mine... it came from my Uncle who served in the US Army right at the end of WW2 and part of the Army of Occupation in Berlin 45-46. We had a picture of him with a holstered 1911... who knows if this was it or not... who knows... but wouldn't surprise me at all if he lifted it from Uncle Sam. Wouldn't put it past him!
Anyways... here she is... I took her apart and all the numbers match, has all the cutouts and crap for this Schwartz (?) safety thing, and is just mint. I've put 3 mags through her, and functions flawlessly, as one would expect. You can see where they peened-over the commercial S/N ... when I first got the pistol I thought someone had messed with the numbers, some scumbag stole it or something. Just my luck, right? But a little reading up on it, and there it was.
I need to get that Clawson book... but it's worth as much as the bloody pistol. Maybe one day.
Hey, Steve.... you ex-Cameron as well? Maybe we swilled some Drambuie in the O-Mess together! Would love to see your collection my good man!
