[eagleeye]

getting it cleaned right now so no pictures until i put it back together, but it has a flaming bomb stamp on the right rear on frame.
serial #42235 puts it in 1911
Questions are
has any one else seen this on other 25 acp's.
would it be worth while to get it lettered.
original 2 tone mag, barrel is like new,lots of bluing on frame but not slide
what are the stocks suppose to look like,these just have the rampant colt pony , i have seen them with a pony on top of a oval shape football for a somewhat description ( don't know what it's called).

what would the military want with these pocket pea shooters?

any help or ideas/knowledge welcomed.
EE

 

[dogface6]

I believe Pate's book addresses these, but I'm away from my library, and can't verify.

'Man At Arms' ran a long article, as well.

The upshot is - there are more than a 'lot' of fakes, and the faking went on for awhile...

 

[tedm]

John Brunner's The Colt Pocket Hammerless Auto Pistols, page 89 (old edition) does mention "US PROPERTY" marked, but not ordnance. Beware. Not saying it couldn't be, but I've been collecting for 30+ years and have owned/do own quite a few Model N's - never seen one - YET.

 

[Oyeboten]

Seems a very unlikely provenance and especially if the Pistol dates to 1911.

But, "Ya never know!"


Who knows?


Get it 'Lettered" and see what the Letter says.


Maybe some one special in the Military wanted one to be Issued to them, and, got his/her/their request granted, with just that Stamp.

 

[eagleeye]

a quick picture

 

[JohnnyP]

Stamping the Ordnance Bomb on weapons was not something that was just arbitrarily done. When it was applied it was done at the time of manufacture rather than added later.

One of the few times it was added was on the Springfield 1903 rifles sold to NRA members prior to WWI. The rifles were a "Special Target" with a star gaged barrel for NRA members to use in the National Matches. The front of the trigger guard was stamped with the ordnance bomb over NRA, and this was done as proof that the rifle was sold by Ordnance and not stolen. The NRA was added to the Model 1911 pistols sold to NRA members, but did not have the ordnance bomb.

This is a 1903 Springfield Special Target made in 1916.