Attributed US Property Colt M1903 - BG Carl E. Lay

Description

11/17/25 - This is a Colt 1903 chambered in 32 ACP. The slide is numbered and matching, and the right side of the frame is "US Property" marked. Manufactured in 1942. This gun is listed by serial number in John Brunner's "The Colt Pocket Hammerless Automatic Pistols" book. According to his records, this gun was presented to Brigadier General Carl E. Lay on August 26, 1968.  This is gun is in mint condition, retaining essentially all of its parkerized finish. Just a couple of tiny, barely-visible handling marks. Fitted with minty checkered Walnut grips. Excellent bore with strong rifling. Comes with one proper magazine. 

"For Carl E. Lay, World War II began when his Athens National Guard unit was called to report to Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC. While at Ft. Jackson, he acted as supply sergeant for Company B. Later transferring to Ft. Benning, he went to officer's school and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in September 1942. He was later assigned to the island of Trinidad in the British West Indies where he trained soldiers for the China-Burma-India Theater. He would remain there until he was approved for a military government position for the occupation of Japan. He returned to the United States in 1944 and attended Northwestern University in Chicago for 6 months to study the Japanese language 6 days a week. He would eventually be stationed on the Japanese island of Skikoku in 1945 as assistant military governor. Upon arrival in Japan, however, he was stationed at McArthur's headquarters in Tokyo for a time and received his promotion to Major with the General's personal signature. After the war, he remained in the National Guard until 1973, retiring as the Commander of the 30th Armored Division with the rank of Brigadier General."