This Colt Model 1911A1 pistol was manufactured in 1941 and shipped to Springfield Armory as part of a lot of 1,500 pistols on February 28, 1941. The pistol has the pre-war military blue finish utilized by Colt on government contract M1911A1 pistol until the adoption of the Type II phosphate finish ("parkerizing") in May 1941 at serial number 729993. The brown plastic checkered stocks are the early, Type I, "Coltrock" stocks that lack strengthening ribs or mold numbers on the inside and have narrow rings around the screw holes. The barrel is blued and stamped "COLT 45 AUTO" on the lower left side of the chamber. "P" is stamped on the left side of the barrel lug and a small, block "G" government production order mark is stamped on the bottom of the barrel in front of the lug. The serial number is roll-stamped on the left side of the frame. "724" is stamped on the rear of the slide above the firing pin hole and "953" is stamped below the firing pin hole. The "R.S." inspection mark of Col. Robert Sears, Army inspector for the Hartford Ordnance District is stamped in a rectangle on the left side of the frame below the slide stop and on the top of the frame next to the disconnector hold. A "G" production order mark is stamped next to the "RS" mark. "P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the frame below the magazine release and on the top of the slide ahead of the rear sight. The left side of the trigger guard is stamped with a "T" final inspection mark above the Colt "Triangle/VP" proof mark. The right side of the frame is roll-stamped: "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" behind the slide stop hole and "M1911A1 US ARMY" ahead of it. The left side of the slide is roll-stamped with the two-line 1897-1913 patent dates followed by the Rampant Colt trademark and the two-line address. The frame has a short, milled trigger with a knurled face, short, wide-spur hammer, 1924 style slide stop, checkered safety lock and Colt checkered back strap. The slide has the pre-war style U-notch rear sight and oval profile front sight. The magazine is the pre-war style with blued body and phosphate floorplate marked "COLT/45 AUTO" issued with 1941 production pistols. The blued, 1941 production, "R.S." inspected Colt M1911A1 pistols were issued to the expanding U.S. military at the start of World War II. These pistols typically saw service wartime service with high attrition rates. Most of the surviving 1941 production Colt M1911A1 pistols were subsequently rebuilt. Surviving examples typically show considerable wear with replacement components.

Excellent. This pistol is all original and retains 90% plus of the military blue finish. The blue on the front of the grip has dulled slightly from handling and there is some light wear on the edges of the mainspring housing and bottom of the grip safety. The slide shows very light finish wear on the muzzle, edges and top of the front and rear sights. The barrel retains 90% of the original military blue finish with light cycling wear on the chamber. The scarce "Coltrock" plastic grips are in excellent overall condition. The slide and frame markings are crisp. The sides of the magazine body have some finish flaking but the magazine has 85% of the Colt blue finish intact. This is an excellent original example of a scarce 1941 production, "R.S." inspected Colt M1911A1 pistol with the very desirable combination of blue finish and early "Coltrock" plastic grips.