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For sale is Colt 1911 ser# 461720. A "Black Army", as the name was coined some years ago by collectors. This pistol was shipped between October 3rd and October 23rd,1918. It most likely went to the Ordnance Depot, Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, NY. That was a port of embarkation for Ordnance going to the War in Europe. Colt stopped shipping in sequence serial numbers in May of 1918 around serial number 289301.  Here is some info on the term Black Army. "Black army" is NOT a Colt finish. It is a term used by some to refer to a rough, crude appearance to the blue finish of Colt M1911 pistols made during and immediately after World War I; those made and shipped between May 1918 and March 1919. The finish itself was the same oven blued process as used on the "brushed blue" Colt M1911 pistols made from about serial No. 170,000 to about serial No. 310,000-350,000; those manufactured between mid-1917 and mid-1918. The darker appearance on the late pistols is due to the surface prep prior to finish being applied. Colt's eliminated the final polishing step on the M1911 pistols made after May 1918 to increase the rate of production during WWI. They also took other measures and eliminated other milling steps to expedite production. The finish on most WWI production Colt M1911 pistols proved to be far less durable than that of the pistols produced earlier. Many attribute the poor durability of the wartime finish to the pistols' coarse surface not holding the blue finish. I'd say that is true. However, I believe the root problem with the poor rate of finish retention is due to the rushed surface cleansing and preparation. The pistol surfaces were dipped in hot gasoline for de-greasing before bluing. When the surface isn't properly cleansed and prepared, the finish applied simply does not properly adhere to the surface. The results are flaking and corrosion over time. The finish on even those pistols, over the years, did not prove to be durable. Most that remained in military stock ended up being arsenal refurbished and refinished with the new phosphate Parkerized finish. So, in the long run, the rushed wartime production probably did not pay off. However, the requirements of small arms were met during The Great War, and Colt's deserve credit for their part in accomplishing that paramount feat. Today, the result of all this, accounts for the "mystique" around these pistols. Very few exist today that are still all original finish and have any very high condition remaining.  We often see "last ditch" German and Japanese WII weapons, where time and expense were greatly reduced to turn out a functional weapon, but without all the luster and beauty of the pre-war and early-war pieces. Mr. Clawson, in his book, states: This roughness caused the bluing to appear almost black, which is commonly referred to by collectors as "black finish". Thus, the term "Black Army" came into play. In a nutshell, the "Black Army" was a Wartime produced pistol that was produced as fast as Colt could go. It is a "have to have" for ANY 1911 collector. Finding one in great shape is more than most collectors will ever do. Finding one in EXCELLENT, ORIGINAL shape is something most will only ever dream about. Now, onto the other parts of the pistol. The barrel is correct and original to this pistol as evidenced by the wear marks. The markings are also correct. The barrel has the correct, vertical "common leg" or "intertwined HP" on the barrel hood (They ALL had the 5 marking on the underside in front of the lugs at this time, as this one does). The bore and rifling are in very good condition with very strong rifling, and some shine. All parts are correct and original to this pistol. The small parts like the trigger, hammer, slide stop, mag release, recoil spring plug, and barrel bushing, were blued in a different manner and are also more protected from wear. That is why they stay in better condition, finish-wise. All markings and the metal are in excellent condition. This is a great example of how NON-durable the "Black Army" finish was. It simply wore away, or flaked off over time, leaving the metal and markings beneath looking as good as new! The correct type 4, pinned base, two-tone magazine (Colt did not mark the top of the floorplate "toe", as did contractors) is in excellent condition. It was made by Little Mfg. Co. (yes, they made magazines for Colt during BOTH Wars) and is marked L on the toe. This is not a CMP put-together pistol. This is a real WW1 pistol that is all original. Never rebuilt. The "rig" consists of a U.S. marked M-1916 holster produced by BoyT (they made holster in both World Wars), and dated 1917. The M1912 pistol belt is unmarked, but in very nice condition. The M1918 magazine pouch was made by RUSSELL and is dated 1918. The first aid pouch is an M1942 variant. Seems someone cut the threads on the side, so it fully folds open. It is unmarked.

$2,500.00 plus actual USPS Priority Mail shipping (about $35 insured Priority Mail to an 01 FFL. WAY cheaper than overnight for you C&R guys!), or 6% VT sales tax, collected in Vermont ONLY.  I do not charge over my cost to ship. Email me at [email protected] or call Shawn at 802-316-1020. I take Personal checks, Bank checks and Business checks (with MY bank’s clear time), USPS money orders, DISCREET Paypal gift, or credit cards +3.5% of the total. I am an 01 FFL. ANY HANDGUN GOING TO A C&R MUST BE SHIPPED OVERNIGHT VIA UPS (I DON’T USE FED EX). NO EXCEPTIONS! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE! FEEL FREE TO GOOGLE MY NAME, SHAWN HOAGUE/ DOGFACE SUPPLY, LLC. ALL EXCELLENT REVIEWS.