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Date: |
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Description: | COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBRE 455
GOVERNMENT MODEL
broad arrow over crossed pennants
crossed pennants
crown over G2 over A over crown over FE over E
Colt prancing horse trademark
PATENTED APR.20.1897.SEPT 9.1902 DEC.19,1905. FEB.14,1911.AUG.19,1913 COLT'S PT. F.A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD. CT. U.S.A.
the second, Enfield, inspection mark is most unusual and this pistol may mark a transitional phase of the inspection procedure. From October 1917, Air Service pistols were inspected at Colt by D. Nevin. He does not appear to have placed a mark on the pistols . which were subsequently marked at RSAF Enfield. It has been suggested that this situation arose either because of a temporary lack of proof cartridges, which were supplied from England, or perhaps merely some delay regarding the stamp. From 1 April 1918, inspection was undertaken by G.W.R. Stedman at Colt, using the G2 over A stamp. This is the only pistol noted to date with British inspection marks for both Colt and Enfield-based inspectors. The British military proof mark has the typically 'droopy' single-tail pennants seen on Colt-proved arms, rather than the Enfield swallow-tail style, so the pistol seems to have gone through the entire proof and inspection process at Colt. 10,000 pistols to this specification were shipped between 22 January 1918 and 28 April 1919.
dull blue finish | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co, Hartford, CT, USA | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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