Here it be, the novel crown jewel of my pistol collection. With over a century of history all its own, mated to nearly 3 centuries of American and Montanan, Rocky Mountain History:
We have here a most unique specimen of first-model Colt 1911 .45acp Pistol. Produced in late 1918, it was in the second of the two large orders/batches that got turned around and sent back to/kept at the factory before shipping to the Army. Due to WW1 ending, and the ordinance dept. slamming the brakes on their demand… These pistols from said batches were either later re-manufactured into the ‘transitional’ postwar civilian models, and sold off… Or, trickled out to the US army/military on an as-ordered basis, with or without some, or all 1911A1 modifications until gone [this one has had the A1 frame transition machined in by the trigger, and A1 hammer spring housing added, for example].
This pistol has only been issued ONCE, and has NEVER been re-arsenalled. With only ONE set of Ordinance dept proofing/acceptance stamps on it. It is a 445000 series by Serial, by the way. It also still has its original ‘2-Tone’ 1918 Magazine.
Now that makes for quite the WW1-produced 1911 by itself… But we have only just begun…
Naturally, you see the frame slide are fully engraved ‘Property of the United States Army’/U.S. Army. As any actual military issue 1911 would be… But there is more. This Pistol is ‘Named’ as they say. Hand-etched on BOTH slide, and frame we have ‘Capt. J. F. Ordway’ — For Captain Johnathon Francis Ordway–whom is/was a direct descendant or Sergent J. F. Ordway [born 1775] of the Lewis & Clark Expedition… Moreover, 3rd in command of said expedition, and producer of the only complete journals to tell its tale. Which he also survived to do.
Said lucky survivors of the expedition were given large land grants in the Ohio River valley, and the family is now and since, still local to Kentucky and Tennessee… This family also has had something of a sick but understandable tradition of naming every male it can, after Sergeant Ordway [whom himself even has a National Guard award named after him]. as such, there have been John Ordways in the army since the Nation was born. This particular John Ordway appears to have been an Artillery Officer in the 1920’s-30’s, Per my best ability to research [we all know that all the real personnel record for ww2 and prior US army were sadly burnt down to the ground in storage in Missouri in the late 60’s].
This pistol was acquired by myself, from the most recent generation of Ordway [ironically not named John] whom was the great-grandson of the good captain, in Tennessee…. And it has since travelled that whole Lewis and Clark trail back here to the Continental divide. To the spot where the expedition’s members learned they had in fact reached their last obstacle, and would indeed ‘make it’ to their goal of the Pacific.
Frame ‘green’ parkerizing is still soldiering on as it can, as you can see. The slide has had a century of wiping and over-wiping to the point of being harder on its parkerizing. Grips are absolutely perfect. Barrel is very very nice [this gun was maintained, and clearly never shot much]. Every small part, every spring is original. I fully disassembled it down to the frame to check on such, and gave every part a week-long WD-40 bath/soak when I got my hands on it. Followed by proper oil bath, then re-assembly. Every moving part and spring functions VERY nicely, with great purchase, and like a nearly new gun. Not a thing is adversely worn on it.
You will literally never get a chance at this particularly uniquely historically linked to both the Army and Nation [atop being well-preserved] early production pre-A1 1911 ever again…. If you are still reading, and your heart is palpitating with interest and curiosity, you are assuredly not alone.
I of course, also have more pics. But Guntrader will only let you post 12.
$3000.00 OBO will get it from this collector’s hands into another’s.
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