The top lot of Rock Island Auction Company’s premier firearms auction September 9‱1 was a rare early production US Colt Model 1911 semiautomatic pistol, serial number 33, that attained $109,250, setting a world auction record for a US Colt 1911 Army pistol.

Crossing the block on the last day of the sale, the semiautomatic pistol was assembled by Colt on December 28, 1911, during the first week of production of the US government contract Model 1911 pistols. This is one of the few Model 1911 pistols completed by Colt in 1911. Pistols number 1‵0 were shipped from Colt to the Springfield Armory on January 4, 1912.

This example is also noteworthy for having the Colt high polish, commercial blue finish with niter blue hammer, safety lock, slide stop, trigger, magazine catch and rear sight. This high polish blue finish was changed to a “dull finish” by order of the Chief of Ordnance in April 1912 and was not applied to Model 1911 pistols after serial number 2400.

A complete report will appear in a future edition of Antiques and The Arts Weekly.

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