Rare, Attributed Colt Model 1903 - Brigadier General L.A. Santini

Description

1/20/26 - This is a near-mint condition example of a rare Colt Model 1903 pistol that was documented as having been issued to Brigadier General Leo A. Santini.  Santini served in the Army in 1941 and participated in five campaigns in the Mediterranean Theater during World War II.  He joined the Army Reserve and served with the 77th Division, where he was promoted to general in 1967. His last assignment was as commanding general of the 353d Civil Affairs Section in New York in 1972.  The parkerized finish shows only minor discoloration atop the rear of the slide, but otherwise has only minor hints of edge wear.  The slide is mismatched to the frame, but that's very common on this variation of parkerized military 1903s.  Minty bore and grips.  Proper magazine marked 'CAL .32 COLT'.  The listing includes the Colt archives letter, which states this gun was shipped to Springfield Army in January of 1945.  There is also a photocopy of the page in Brunner's book confirming this serial was issued to Santini.