EXTRAORDINARILY FINE FIRST CONTRACT COLT 1911 NAVY, FROM THE EDWARD SCOTT MEADOWS COLLECTION

EXTRAORDINARILY FINE FIRST CONTRACT COLT 1911 NAVY, FROM THE EDWARD SCOTT MEADOWS COLLECTION

24-1604
Cal. 45ACP
SN 576

Beautiful Colt 1911 Navy, one of the first 500 pistols delivered to the U.S. Navy in the serial range 501-1000 shipped March 7, 1912. Well documented, on the front dust cover of E. Scott Meadows’ book “U.S. Military Automatic Pistols, 1894-1920”, serial number ranges of Navy pistols / delivery dates appearing on page 158. This pistol has all the earliest features including the short hammer, rounded rear sight, early style safety lever, earliest magazine catch lock, high polish peacock blue small parts, and early two-tone magazine with pinned lanyard loop floorplate. Left side of slide with two-line address reflecting patent dates of 1897 and 1911 followed by the Colt manufacturing address in Hartford. Behind the serrations is the encircled rampant colt.

“UNITED STATES PROPERTY” is on the left side of the frame along with the haloed rondel containing the intertwined WGP (Walter G. Penfield) inspector marking. The right side of the slide is marked “MODEL OF 1911 U.S. NAVY” with “No. 572”, slightly haloed, on the right side of the frame. Fitted with large diamond, checkered walnut grips and correct dual tone magazine with pinned lanyard loop floorplate. Disassembly shows the back of the slide with lazy, serifed “H” over firing pin retainer, the frame with a serifed “H” of the same size forward of the disconnector along with the assembler mark “9”. The barrel is largely unmarked, no “H”, a partial “1” in front of the lug.