SOLD - Very Rare Colt Government Model 1911 - Russian Contract

Description

10/15/26 - This is a very rare Colt Government Model 1911 "Russian" contract pistol. In the 1914-1916 years, the Russian Army was severely short of arms and ammunition and was forced to buy thousands of weapons abroad on credits negotiated with Great Britain, so all of the contracts were placed through Great Britain on Russia's behalf. During the 1916-1917 timeframe, Russia purchased approximately 51,000 Colt Model 1911 commercial pistols this way. They were standard Colt commercial models with no specific Russian acceptance proofs, but the left side of the frame is marked in Cyrillic letters "АНГЛ. ЗАКАЗЬ", which roughly translates to "English Order" or "British Contract". Very few were ever imported into this country, which makes them extremely scarce today. These pistols fall in the serial number range of C23000 to C89000. The gun has lost the majority of its original finish, and there are areas of noticeable cold blue touch-up and browning on the frame. There are also areas of spotty oxidation and light pitting, most noticeable in an area on the left side of the slide, on the right side of the frame, and on the front strap. Fitted with period-correct wood grips and comes with a proper two-tone magazine. The bore has great rifling, but there is some noticeable frosting in the grooves. A rare WWI-era Colt with a fascinating contract history.