Colonel Garner's 1914 Colt 1911 Government Model

Steve1987

Steve1987

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Here are some photos of Colonel A.C. Garners 1914 production Colt 1911 Government Model, one of 5000 issued to officers of the CEF.

This 1911 still has traces of the original grease inside and I don't think this pistol was ever fired after leaving the Colt factory. The pistol was shipped with the last contract of Canadian 1911's, and is an early example featuring the flat rear sight. The pistol features early Colt high polish bluing with smokey blued small parts. Also in the photos is a complete example of the 1914 Mills gear, including the cross strap and spare mags.

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"Colonel Garner was a veteran of the South African War and World War I and was active in the military throughout his life. Enlisting in the Lord Strathcona Horse in 1900 he served for nearly two years in the South African War as a special scout. In 1901 he was severely wounded and returned to Canada."

Here is more info on Colonel Garner for anyone who's interested:

http://www.landsurveyinghistory.ab.ca/Characters/Garner_AC.htm

The research is still a work in progress.

I hope you enjoy these photos!

-Steve
 
Excellent score!

And it's nice that some of these oldies are going to people that appreciate the history.

Thanks for sharing.

:canadaFlag:
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NAA.
 
Thanks, all the comments are much appreciated.

The Canadian 1911's are an interesting topic, they still surface from time to time in varying conditions, I suspect many of these saw hard use in WWI.

They are probably the coolest sidearm Canada used in WWI.

Here's the link to one of my old threads, showing many other 1911's in the war museum collection:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...sting-1911-s-(Canadian-Small-Arms-Collection)

-Steve
 
I have owned 3 Canadian Contract Colts. One was an Officer from Oakville, it came with plenty of documentation and was in decent shape. It was also engraved with the officers name and rank on the front strap. The other 2 I have owned have a great story behind them. There was a summer auction in Bancroft, Ontario about 6 years ago (Switzer's) this was just before WW1 and WW2 stuff really went crazy with values. I looked on the Switzer website the week before the auction and noticed 2 Colt 1911s in the auction listing. The Colts were in the proper serial range for Canadian Contract.

I made plans to be there, I woke up way too early after not being able to sleep all night due to the pre-auction jitters. I got there about 2 hours before the auction started. Checked out the pistols, one was about 90% finish and the other was about 75% finish with original mags. I was tired after being up all night and went back to crash in the car for a few minutes sleep. I woke up an hour and a half later refreshed and ready to rumble. The Colts were 4 or 5 lots into the auction, the crowd seemed to be mostly there for the hunting rifles and shotguns.

At that time a decent Canadian Contract Colt was worth about $1700- $2000 minimum. Anyway the auction started, and the first one came up I figured I would open with the $500.00 bid. A couple half hearted bids from the crowd and I scored the first one for $650.00 (I was stoked) a couple lots later the second Colt comes up I use the same strategy and BOOM scored the second one for $700.00 I was really stoked now! $4000.00 worth of 1911 goodness for $1350.00 At this point I didn't care if they were Canadian Contract units. I then realized that I had forgotten to take a pistol case and trigger locks from the kitchen table so I had to drive into Bancroft to buy a tool box from Crappy Tire. It was my first auction experience at Switzer's so I was shocked to find that the pistols were both transferred in my name by 11:00am with temp ATTs ready to go. By lunch I was back on the road for the 4 hour drive home.

The next week I called Colt and ordered the Colt historical letters from the archives. The Colt historian called me back. I begged her to allow me an express service to confirm their history. She called me an hour later confirming both were Canadian Contract issue!!

So that's my Canadian Contract story, they both belong to someone else now as for me it is always about the chase and at the time I needed cash for something else.

Good times!!
 
Pocketfisherman said:
I have owned 3 Canadian Contract Colts. One was an Officer from Oakville, it came with plenty of documentation and was in decent shape. It was also engraved with the officers name and rank on the front strap. The other 2 I have owned have a great story behind them. There was a summer auction in Bancroft, Ontario about 6 years ago (Switzer's) this was just before WW1 and WW2 stuff really went crazy with values. I looked on the Switzer website the week before the auction and noticed 2 Colt 1911s in the auction listing. The Colts were in the proper serial range for Canadian Contract.

I made plans to be there, I woke up way too early after not being able to sleep all night due to the pre-auction jitters. I got there about 2 hours before the auction started. Checked out the pistols, one was about 90% finish and the other was about 75% finish with original mags. I was tired after being up all night and went back to crash in the car for a few minutes sleep. I woke up an hour and a half later refreshed and ready to rumble. The Colts were 4 or 5 lots into the auction, the crowd seemed to be mostly there for the hunting rifles and shotguns.

At that time a decent Canadian Contract Colt was worth about $1700- $2000 minimum. Anyway the auction started, and the first one came up I figured I would open with the $500.00 bid. A couple half hearted bids from the crowd and I scored the first one for $650.00 (I was stoked) a couple lots later the second Colt comes up I use the same strategy and BOOM scored the second one for $700.00 I was really stoked now! $4000.00 worth of 1911 goodness for $1350.00 At this point I didn't care if they were Canadian Contract units. I then realized that I had forgotten to take a pistol case and trigger locks from the kitchen table so I had to drive into Bancroft to buy a tool box from Crappy Tire. It was my first auction experience at Switzer's so I was shocked to find that the pistols were both transferred in my name by 11:00am with temp ATTs ready to go. By lunch I was back on the road for the 4 hour drive home.

The next week I called Colt and ordered the Colt historical letters from the archives. The Colt historian called me back. I begged her to allow me an express service to confirm their history. She called me an hour later confirming both were Canadian Contract issue!!

So that's my Canadian Contract story, they both belong to someone else now as for me it is always about the chase and at the time I needed cash for something else.

Good times!!
Click to expand...

Woaw. I certainly haven't seen any prices that low at Switzers yet!! Sounds like you had some really good luck that day.

I also own an example with the officers name on the front strap. I have already researched this pistol in another thread (I think?).

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This pistol came from the west coast, another member found it at a gun show near where we think was Cookes last residence. Not mint but has definitely been there. Cooke and Garner both previously served in the South African War before becoming prominent officers in WWI.

These Canadian Contract Colt 1911's (And those privately purchased) still come around from time to time and are a reminder of how much really good stuff is still in the woodwork.

Would love hear any other stories of photo reports on Canadian 1911's.

-Steve
 
Then there was the time I purchased a British contract 1911 in 455 cal. It had been stored in a duffle bag for longer than anyone I knew had been alive. I purchased it from a collector in Milton who saved it from being turned into Halton Regional Police to be destroyed. It was pretty pitted but was all original. I have owned two British contract Colts, pretty cool variant.
 
I have this Colt which is no where near as nice as the OP's (Col. Garner was obviously a desk jockey ;))
On the inside flap of the (very interesting) holster is written the name of a Lieut. in the 72nd Highlanders CEF (can't recall the name at the moment)
I have tried to research the name but haven't had much luck - where should I be looking for info on this man?




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canuck said:
I have this Colt which is no where near as nice as the OP's (Col. Garner was obviously a desk jockey ;))
On the inside flap of the (very interesting) holster is written the name of a Lieut. in the 72nd Highlanders CEF (can't recall the name at the moment)
I have tried to research the name but haven't had much luck - where should I be looking for info on this man?
Click to expand...

I have seen another Canadian Colt with the same style of holster and name inside the flap. It belonged to Lt. Col C.E. Bent and another member had posted it here on CGN last spring? I believe these leather holsters were part of the brown bess - I will need to double check Clive Laws book regarding this though, I'm more familiar with the Mills gear.

I think you will have no problems researching the officer if you can make out the name written in the flap. It's a little too hard for me to read in the photos, can you provide us the letters you can make out? Maybe it can be pieced together, I believe it's very possible to figure this out. There is lots of information available on most of the CEF officers.

-Steve
 
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