This is an extremely rare example of a "North American Arms Company Limited" Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol that was produced at the end of WWI in Quebe, Canada, as a presentation type pistol. In early July 1918, the U.S. Government issued a contract for 500,000 Model 1911 pistols to the North American Arms Co., of Quebec, Canada. The North American Arms Company leased the Ross Rifle plant to do the manufacturing with the US Government supplying all the raw materials as part of the contractual arrangement. However, due to the material shortages during the war the Government was only able to supply enough material to produce approximately 100 sets of tool room or preproduction parts, both some with external serial numbers (1-99) and some internally numbered. With the end of WWI and signing of the Armistice in 1918, the contract was terminated in December of 1918 with no examples of completed pistols ever being formally accepted by the U.S. Government. As part of the contract termination settlement, the U.S. Ordnance Board did eventually accept/reclaim the majority of the "100 gun" production run of parts. These were eventually disposed of the later post war years. These part sets (both unnumbered and numbered sets) were disposed of as being nonconforming, however some of them were eventually assembled into completed pistols with the majority of them being sold on the U.S. arms market with some of the unnumbered part sets being assembled and presented to both U.S. Army and North American Arms Company officials as gifts. The original "100 gun" serial numbered pistols were uniquely marked with only a controlling serial number on the left lower area of the frame and the left rear section of the slide, as well as the standard three line, factory slide markings. The "presentation" pistols will have only the full slide markings with the triple digit serial number on the top internal rear frame and under the slide stop, and no proof marks, as in the case of this pistol which is numbered on the aforementioned areas. This example is only marked on the left side of the slide with: "MANUFACTURED BY/NORTH AMERICAN ARMS CO. LIMITED/QUEBEC, CANADA" with no other markings. The pistol itself is nicely machined and highly polished and the configuration of the parts and components were basically consistent with the standard Colt Model 1911 models. The modified replacement hammer is a wide version very similar to the Colt production models except it is "uncheckered" on the spur. This example has the standard WWI diamond pattern, checkered walnut grip panels, short horned grip safety, slightly narrower uncheckered hammer, milled long trigger, flat main spring housing and the late pattern checkered thumb safety and slide stop. It is fitted with a replacement prewar Colt half-tone magazine with the flush base plate pins with a letter "B" stamped on the front of the lip.

Excellent with 99% of a highly polished presentation grade, professionally refurbished blue finish with the correct type/set of WWI parts. The slide markings are clear and distinct. The grips are also in excellent condition with nice distinct checkering on both sides with only a couple of handling marks. A very nice super high condition North American Arms Company Model 1911 pistol.