Back in 1957 I was a young lieutenant in the US Army. I was shooting on the Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) pistol team. We scheduled a match at South Bend, Indiana in preparation for the National Matches at Perry. In the clubhouse at South Bend was posted an add for a 45 match grade pistol, with a phone number to call. I had been shooting the issue US National Match 45; they were real Q-Ships, they looked just like a service 45 except for the higher sights, but they had been carefully worked over by the expert at Springfield Armory and they were VERY accurate with good trigger pulls. At that time, however, they did not have adjustable sights. I wanted my own accurate 45 so I called the number in the add.
He turned out to be a retired lieutenant in the South Bend Police force. It's been long enough that I've forgotten his name. The intriguing thing about the pistol was the serial number: C 33. When Colt started making them for the civilian market in 1912, this was one of the first week's production, possibly one of the first day! For the 45 specialists, it had a 'keyhole' magazine with it which still functioned after all those years. As a young cop, he had taken it from a cab driver in South Bend in the 1930s; it had the keyhole magazine in it then. He had modified it for target shooting so its collectior's value was nil but it was an interesting piece anyway. Among other things, he had cut a '1911A1' scallop behind the trigger and had beveled the arched housing, as he had small hands. He had had Colt refinish it three times, and the last time they put their 'Dual Tone' finish on it with shiny sides and a matt top. When buffing it they probably took off the engraved serial number on the left side and stamped it on the right in accordance with their practice at that time; he was most unhappy about that. He had accurized it himself and had installed Micro sights on it and a Colt match barrel. It was tight enough that it required a bushing wrench to disassemble it, and it had a wonderful trigger pull. I bought it, I think for $150, a lot of money then, particularly for a lieutenant.
I campaigned it for two years and then went on to other things in the Army. I probably put 4000-5000 rounds of GI hardball through it. At that time we were still shooting up WW II production and the ammo we were issued was ECS 43 steel cased, that came in wooden crates of about 1000 rounds stamped in red "Match Grade". I think they chronographed various lots of it and if the velocity dispersion was small enough they called it match grade. Some of it probably had mild steel bullet jackets, copper plated to prevent rust. It was hard on extractors; they'd last about 1500-2000 rounds and then break. I got a spare extractor for each of my team members and one rainy day when we couldn't shoot, I taught them how to change the extractor on the firing line with a minimum of fuss. It came in handy a couple of times.
I remember reading somewhere that the old 1911s couldn't stand up to a lot of shooting; this one has had probably 20,000 rounds through it and it's still going strong. To quote Jack O'Connor; he's full of prunes.
After I stopped competing, I still shot the pistol occasionally. I couldn't figure out what to do with it; if I restored it to 1912 configuration it would be expensive and still be a restoration. If I tuned it up even more, it would be even more expensive and would make restoration that more difficult. Finally about 1998 I sold it to my friend Gene. He tried to sell it for several years and did sell the keyhole magazine separately. Big mistake. Finally about 2006 he found a buyer at the Phoenix gun show. I throught about it occasionally. I really regretted selling it and often wondered what had happened to it and whether the owner knew its history. I wished I could get it back.
Fast forward to 2011 at a gun show in Fort Worth. Gene came back to our table and told me to go look at a 45 on a table up the row a bit. i almost swallowed my socks when I saw my old C 33 sitting there. It had on display the Colt letter I had requested. The guy behind the table was sorta staring at me as I stared at the pistol. Finally I took out my drivers license and showed it to him. He didn't understand until I pointed out the name on the Colt letter. Then his eyes got big and round. We had a long conversation, and he asked me if I would write up what I knew about the pistol. I did, and mailed it to him.
At the Fort Worth gun show early this month, he had the pistol again on display with a price tag of $2100. I asked him what sort of deal he could do for me. He recognised me and was hoping I wanted it; he mentioned $1500. I almost broke my elbow getting my wallet out. Handling it was like shaking hands with an old friend. There was a little more blue wear than I remembered and it no longer had the Colt national match barrel; probably shot out by the time someone else tried it out. When I got it home, I hung it on the pegboad in my gun room. It rocked back and forth a little, like it was saying "Yes, I'm home, I'm home" It's not for sale; I'll take it out and shoot it tomorrow.
He turned out to be a retired lieutenant in the South Bend Police force. It's been long enough that I've forgotten his name. The intriguing thing about the pistol was the serial number: C 33. When Colt started making them for the civilian market in 1912, this was one of the first week's production, possibly one of the first day! For the 45 specialists, it had a 'keyhole' magazine with it which still functioned after all those years. As a young cop, he had taken it from a cab driver in South Bend in the 1930s; it had the keyhole magazine in it then. He had modified it for target shooting so its collectior's value was nil but it was an interesting piece anyway. Among other things, he had cut a '1911A1' scallop behind the trigger and had beveled the arched housing, as he had small hands. He had had Colt refinish it three times, and the last time they put their 'Dual Tone' finish on it with shiny sides and a matt top. When buffing it they probably took off the engraved serial number on the left side and stamped it on the right in accordance with their practice at that time; he was most unhappy about that. He had accurized it himself and had installed Micro sights on it and a Colt match barrel. It was tight enough that it required a bushing wrench to disassemble it, and it had a wonderful trigger pull. I bought it, I think for $150, a lot of money then, particularly for a lieutenant.
I campaigned it for two years and then went on to other things in the Army. I probably put 4000-5000 rounds of GI hardball through it. At that time we were still shooting up WW II production and the ammo we were issued was ECS 43 steel cased, that came in wooden crates of about 1000 rounds stamped in red "Match Grade". I think they chronographed various lots of it and if the velocity dispersion was small enough they called it match grade. Some of it probably had mild steel bullet jackets, copper plated to prevent rust. It was hard on extractors; they'd last about 1500-2000 rounds and then break. I got a spare extractor for each of my team members and one rainy day when we couldn't shoot, I taught them how to change the extractor on the firing line with a minimum of fuss. It came in handy a couple of times.
I remember reading somewhere that the old 1911s couldn't stand up to a lot of shooting; this one has had probably 20,000 rounds through it and it's still going strong. To quote Jack O'Connor; he's full of prunes.
After I stopped competing, I still shot the pistol occasionally. I couldn't figure out what to do with it; if I restored it to 1912 configuration it would be expensive and still be a restoration. If I tuned it up even more, it would be even more expensive and would make restoration that more difficult. Finally about 1998 I sold it to my friend Gene. He tried to sell it for several years and did sell the keyhole magazine separately. Big mistake. Finally about 2006 he found a buyer at the Phoenix gun show. I throught about it occasionally. I really regretted selling it and often wondered what had happened to it and whether the owner knew its history. I wished I could get it back.
Fast forward to 2011 at a gun show in Fort Worth. Gene came back to our table and told me to go look at a 45 on a table up the row a bit. i almost swallowed my socks when I saw my old C 33 sitting there. It had on display the Colt letter I had requested. The guy behind the table was sorta staring at me as I stared at the pistol. Finally I took out my drivers license and showed it to him. He didn't understand until I pointed out the name on the Colt letter. Then his eyes got big and round. We had a long conversation, and he asked me if I would write up what I knew about the pistol. I did, and mailed it to him.
At the Fort Worth gun show early this month, he had the pistol again on display with a price tag of $2100. I asked him what sort of deal he could do for me. He recognised me and was hoping I wanted it; he mentioned $1500. I almost broke my elbow getting my wallet out. Handling it was like shaking hands with an old friend. There was a little more blue wear than I remembered and it no longer had the Colt national match barrel; probably shot out by the time someone else tried it out. When I got it home, I hung it on the pegboad in my gun room. It rocked back and forth a little, like it was saying "Yes, I'm home, I'm home" It's not for sale; I'll take it out and shoot it tomorrow.
