This is a very fine example of a WWII manufactured U.S. Model 1911A1 pistol that was manufactured by the Singer Manufacturing Company that was reportedly presented to Charles Turner Willard, the Chief Metallurgist, in 1942, by the President of the Singer Company, Mr. Gooseman as a token of his appreciation for Charles' contribution to the war effort. Mr. Charles Willard was responsible for all testing and finishing of all Singer products and equipment during the war at their main plant in Elizabethport NJ. This specific pistol does not have any serial number however it is accompanied by two signed documents attesting to its history and that was passed to his son-in-law, Captain Robert Gibby in 1947, by Mr. Willard for his service during the war. It has remained in the possession of Mr. Gibby until now upon being consigned for this sale. There were exactly 500 of these extremely rare pistols produced as part of Educational Order No. W-ORD-396 awarded April 17, 1940. It is reported that all 500 were issued to the Army Air Corps early in WWII, all with that highly desirable and distinctive, high polish, Dulite blue finish. This specific pistol was probably produced at the end of the contract. This presentation model was produced with only the standard slide, markings of: "S. MFG.CO./ELIZABETH, N.J., U.S.A." in two lines with no other factory or U.S. Government inspection and acceptance proof marks on the entire pistol. The pistol is fitted with the correct set of early Singer/Colt brown checkered plastic grips that have the hollow-backs, i.e. which lack any reinforcing ribs and/or mold numbers on the back sides to include any reinforcing rings around the screw holes. The pistol has a finely checkered mainspring housing, wide spur hammer with borderless checkering, finely checkered thumb safety and slide release. The slide has the standard rear sight with the U-shaped sighting aperture and the narrow half-moon oval front sight profile. The right side trigger has circular marks visible where a trigger shoe once resided. It is the finely checkered, short milled pattern. The replacement HS marked barrel has a deep polished blue finish with "P" proof on the underside of the barrel on the left side of the barrel lug, with the bright polished feed ramp. The replacement magazine has similar high polish blue finish as the rest of the pistol with grinding/milling marks on each side of the magazine body towards the upper lips, and as noted is totally unmarked.

Very fine 80% of the original high polish blue finish still remaining overall with wear and blue loss on the edges and high spots overall with the front grip strap, rear mainspring housing and rear area of the trigger guard bow all having browned out. The slide markings are clear and sharp. The grips are in a very nice original presentation type Singer Model 1911A1 pistol.