Lot 3573: Singer - 1911A1 — Rock Island Arsenal Auction Company

AuctionZip.com ^ | September 9, 2017 | By Rock Island Auction Company

[Swordmaker]

The Rarest WWII US Contract 1911A1 .45 Semi-Auto Pistols: one of the 500 made by Singer Manufacturing Company.

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000

Description: Rare and Highly Desirable World War II U.S. Army Singer Manufacturing Company Model 1911A1 Semi-Automatic Pistol

This is a rare example of one of the 500 Model 1911A1 pistols manufactured by the Singer Manufacturing Company during WWII under the Ordnance Educational Order No. W-ORD-396.

Under that contract, the Singer Manufacturing Company produced a total of only 500 pistols. Consequently, they are considered very rare and highly prized by U.S. martial collectors today. It is theorized that almost all of these pistols were issued to the U.S. Army Air Corps, with a very low/limited numbered issued to the U.S. Army.

The consignor states that his father, a member of the 1471st Engineer Maintenance Company during World War II, won this pistol in a poker game played in an abandoned bunker along the bank of the Rhine River and the gun has stayed in his family until being sold at this time. The father’s unit arrived in France aboard the USS Henry Gibbon on January 16, 1945, and while making their way to the front by train, the 1471st was involved in a horrific train accident at the coastal city of Saint-Valery-En-Caux.

This lot includes a photocopy of the history of the train crash that was authored by a member of the 1471st and shows photos of the troop ship that took the 1471st to France and the train crash.

• The left side of the slide is marked in two-lines ahead of the slide serrations as follows: "S. MFG.CO./ELIZABETH, N.J., U.S.A."
• There are no markings to the right side of the slide.
• The top of the slide and the lower left side of the frame are both correctly stamped with a single "P" proofmark.
• The rear of the slide is also correctly not serial numbered, as that manufacturing step was only utilized on Colt produced 1911A1 pistols.
• The right side of the frame is stamped "UNITED STATES PROPERTY/No S800297" in two lines, with "M 1911 A1 U.S. ARMY" forward of the slide stop pin hole. (This area was quite possibly heavily struck by the roll die as it is indented.)
• The left side of the frame is stamped with the initials "JKC" for Col. John K. Clement, the Executive Officer of the New York Ordnance District.
• The pistol has the wide spur hammer with borderless checkering, and the checkered thumb safety, slide stop, trigger and mainspring housing.
• It is fitted with a wartime manufacture (1943-1945) Springfield Armory manufactured barrel. This barrel is marked on the left side of the lug with separated "S P" proofs and with the heat lot "PX-1" marking on the lower left side of the chamber. These wartime barrels were sometimes provided by the Ordnance Dept. to various companies to help them maintain their monthly production numbers when barrel were unavailable.
• It is fitted with a set of wartime clear plastic/resin grip panels.
• Underneath the panels on each side, the frame is covered with an aluminum foil type material with two larger "Five Pointed Stars" overlaid on top of the aluminum material. This style of grip was called a "sweetheart" grip as they were typically seen on GI pistol that displayed a picture of their wife or girlfriend. This example may have actually belong(ed) to some General during the war who intended to accurately denote his rank.
• It is fitted with an all blued WWII magazine manufactured by the M.S. Little Company that is marked with an "L" on the front edge of the lip.

For a true .45 Auto collector, the Singer Manufactured M1911A1 pistol is the Holy Grail of all U.S. Model 1911A1 WWII pistols. It is complete with a WWI US marked leather holster. The back is stamped "WARREN LEATHER/GOODS CO./1918/J.A.D."

Manufacturer: Singer Model: 1911A1 BBL: 5 inch round Stock: Gauge: 45 ACP Finish: blue Grips: plastic Serial Number: S800297 Class: Curio & Relic Handgun Condition: Fine with 40% of the original blue finish remaining overall showing general wear and blue loss. Clear and distinct markings and proofs. The unique grips are very fine condition with nice clear plexiglass showing the two larger "Stars" underneath. While not Singer grips, they are very unique and certainly "one-of-a-kind" and appear to be period installed on the pistol and certainly WWII. Mechanically excellent.

Don't miss the chance for a genuine WWII-issued Singer M1911A1 semi-automatic pistol.

[Swordmaker]

This auction has some of the rarest guns I've ever seen offered including an exceptional Colt D Company Walker, finely engraved Winchesters and Colts, and rare cased sets. Many of these fine weapons were featured in the books that annotated art of gun making and decoration that we gun collectors bought and drooled over, knowing that we could never own these already bought up and now locked away gems. Now here they are, for sale.

Now, if you have the available money, you can own the guns you only could dream of having. The opening bid on this real martial collector's holy grail is a mere $27,500, but plan on kicking in an additional 20% buyer's premium on top of whatever the high-bid is when the hammer falls.

What is happening is that the legendary fine collections of the 20th Century are being broken up as their collectors are passing away and their heirs have little or no interest in maintaining the collections their fathers and grandfathers amassed throughout their lifetimes, or the collections have a huge inheritance tax burden and the only way to pay that tax is to sell them to satisfy the collection.

I've owned some really desirable collectors' guns in the past, such as Zane Grey's 1895 Winchester 30-'06 take-down hunting rifle and an absolutely mint, brand new condition, 1873 Winchester Musket with bayonet, complete with the cleaning rods still wrapped in the brown paper in the stock. . . and I've brokered some really desirable gun collections including ones with guns such as the 27th known 1847 Colt Fluck Dragoon (there's one of those for sale in this auction) and the patent model for the Remington 1875 revolver. Guns such as these can raise your heart rate when you see them.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

A buddy of mine has a 1911; he’s a bit of a peacenik so he was a little circumspect showing it to me.

It was a Union Switch & Signal 1943 (from his research) 1911 and it was nothing but dead nuts bone stock. It was just in excellent used condition with about 11 molecules of rust on it. Just beautiful.

[Big Red Badger]

A Fluck Dragoon...
I’d like to see that!
Could you post a link to
The catalog?
At least give the auctio House....

Thanks!

[Big Red Badger]

Posted before seeing

AuctionZip.com

[smokingfrog]

If it is US Govt. property, how could it be won in a poker game?

[Swordmaker]

For those who have always wanted to own a live Tommy Gun, there are several full-auto Thompson submachine guns for sale on this auction as well as other machine guns and Federally registered devices such as suppressors (silencers), silenced guns, short-barreled shotguns, etc.

There is at least one select fire Mauser Schnellfeuer Pistol up for auction.

These Class III/National Firearms Act firearms and devices, of course, require background checks and payment of the Federal transfer taxes, and are only legal in certain states (Residents of California, Hawaii, NY, NJ, and other Liberal strongholds can just drool). . . but you can own them if you live in those sane states.

[DJ Taylor]

"If it is US Govt. property, how could it be won in a poker game?"

I was thinking the same thing. The pistol was apparently stolen at some time in its past, so there's no bill of sale from the U.S. Government, and I wonder what the statue of limitation is on receiving stolen government property.

[Swordmaker]

If it is US Govt. property, how could it be won in a poker game?

WWII. Back then the soldiers brought their sidearms and rifles home with them. . . probably not exactly legal, but they did.

[SkyDancer]

Got it beat:

[Openurmind]

I like the 1911. I have four. This is a very cool model here.

[Keyhopper]

I love gun porn😬

[dainbramaged]

My late Dad left me a Colt 1911, stamped "United States Property M1911A1 U.S. Army" that has a six digit serial number starting with 9.
I know he bought it from a guy for $40 back in the 60's and said it was "liberated" after the war. He and the seller were both WWII veterans.
Can anyone tell me if this firearm is of high value or is it considered stolen property?

[Swordmaker]

A Fluck Dragoon...
I’d like to see that!

Lot 3160: Colt Fluck Dragoon Percussion Revolver

[Swordmaker]

Can anyone tell me if this firearm is of high value or is it considered stolen property?

Not likely stolen property. Value at least $900 or more depending on condition. Who is the listed manufacturer?

[Swordmaker]

This is what the Fluck Dragoon's were replacing due to destruction in service:

Lot 3162: Rare Colt D Company Walker Model 1847

[painter]

Bump for gun porn

[Swordmaker]

Ping for your list.

[Disambiguator]

This is what the Fluck Dragoon's were replacing due to destruction in service:

I see what you did there.

[Inyo-Mono]

I own and shoot a Uberti reproduction of the Colt Walker. What a beast! The most powerful handgun in the World until the introduction of the .357 in the 1930s.

[yarddog]

It appears very well machined.