3066

*VERY RARE COLT PRE-WWII SERVICE MODEL ACE SEMI-AUTO PISTOL AND EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL 45 ACP CONVE

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
*VERY RARE COLT PRE-WWII SERVICE MODEL ACE SEMI-AUTO PISTOL AND EXTREMELY RARE ORIGINAL 45 ACP CONVE
SN SM923 & U2. Cal. 22 LR & 45 ACP. All blue finish with 5" floating chamber bbl, adjustable rear sight with standard markings and Rampant Colt on the left side. Right side is marked "COLT SERVICE MODEL ACE .22 LONG RIFLE". "ACE" is in a diamond. Right side of the frame has the SN. Mounted with full checkered walnut grips with standard 1911A1 features. Accompanied by 1 orig all blue service Model Ace magazine. Additionally accompanied by a very rare and the earliest known 45 ACP conversion unit ever to come to market. Conversion unit slide has standard markings on the left side with adjustable rear sight and is marked on the right side "COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBRE .45 / CONVERSION UNIT .45-22", along with the Rampant Colt. Conversion unit bbl has a polished skirt and is marked on the lower left side "MATCH / COLT 45 AUTO" and is also marked "U-2" in electric pencil on the left side. Left side of the lug is marked "M.B" in a circle. Conversion unit is accompanied by a recoil spring, spring guide, spring cap, bbl bushing, slide stop and an orig commercial all blue magazine with marked base plate. The "U2" numbered conversion unit is, as reported above, the earliest 45 conversion unit ever to come to market. SN "U1" is reportedly in the Colt Collection at the Wadsworth Athenaum in Hartford, CT. Pistol & conversion unit are accompanied by a period of use green velvet lined walnut distributor's case with gold embossed "COLT" on the lid and has a nickeled diamond-shaped lock escutcheon on the front. Also accompanied by two Colt factory letters; 1) Pistol is identified in 22 cal. with 5" bbl, blue finish, type of stocks not listed and shipped to H & D Folsom Arms Co. NY, NY on June 6, 1940 in a 1 gun shipment. 2) The conversion unit is identified in cal. .45-22 with 5" bbl, blue finish and shipped to J.J. Tobler, Union City, NJ on February 2, 1939 in a 1 gun shipment. CONDITION: Extremely fine plus. Pistol retains about 98-99% crisp, orig factory blue with faint sharp edge wear on the left side of the muzzle, probably from laying in the box. Front strap appears to have some very minor cleaning lines and there are a couple of small nicks on left side of the slide. Grips are crisp, showing no flaws. Magazine is equally new with faint thinning near the top. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, has been fired but very little. Conversion unit appears to be crisp, new and unfired, retaining virtually all of its bright orig factory finish. 45 magazine is equally new. Case is sound with a few light handling and storage nicks and scratches and retains virtually all of its brilliant, orig finish. Interior is lightly to moderately faded with moderate soil. 4-49218 JR106