Colt Government Model Semi-Automatic Pistol

Manufactured in 1915. Building off of the success of their John M. Browning designed .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol's adoption by U.S. Ordnance as the Model 1911, Colt also offered it as the Government Model for commercial and foreign sales as arguably the most powerful semi-automatic pistol readily available at the time, making it a popular choice of private purchased sidearm for Canadian and British officers by the outbreak of World War I. The included factory letter confirms the pistol's configuration, including a five inch barrel chambered for .45 caliber, blue finish, and types of grips not listed when sent in a shipment of three to Thos. Birkett and Son of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on August 13, 1915. Features fixed rounded top blade front and square top notch rear sights, blued military replacement barrel with "P" on top of the chamber hood, checkered slide stop, magazine release, thumb safety, and wide hammer, along with a flat smooth mainspring housing and long smooth trigger. An importer mark is found at the bottom of the grip frame. The left side of the slide bears the two-line, two-block address and patent markings with uncircled Rampant Colt behind the slide serrations, along with the caliber marking on the right. The frame is marked with "triangle/VP" and "R" on the left of the trigger guard, with "GOVERNMENT MODEL" and serial number on the right side. Fitted with a pair of checkered "double diamond" walnut grips and a two-tone magazine with pinned lanyard loop base

Condition: Fine, retaining 60% original high-polish commercial blue finish with some light holster pattern edge wear, mild freckling, limited minor pitting, thinning on the front grip strap revealing mostly grey patina and silver, and mild handling marks. The grips are very good with some mild compression marks in the otherwise defined checkering. Mechanically excellent.