Documented WW1 .45 Auto

[Phalen409]

Back when I started into the 409 world, I collected documented WW1 uniforms and accoutrements of service men that saw combat duty in WW1. I sold almost all of it as the 409 stuff was expensive!
I was offered to buy back one of those items today. At one time I owned his complete uniform and archive. He was from Westport, Ct and is buried there. Nice to see it again after all these years, but will be sold again to buy more parts!

 

[oldskydog]

Nice. I have one I got from my neighbor lady who said it was her late husbands. she was in her 90's in 2001 and has since passed. It has a little pitting but still shoots straight. Do you have info on this number ? #126885

 

[Phalen409]

Cecil, during WW1 Colts Manufacturing contracted with a small number of manufacturers to meet the demand for side arms. Just as in WW2, we were caught with our pants down in arms manufacturing. While there were several contractors for parts, there were only three companies that sold completed .45 auto's to the military before the war ended.
1. North American Arms - (Canadian)- believed to be only 106 to 111 produced - Contract cancelled on war's end
2. Union Metallic Cartridge Company (Remington, Bridgeport, Ct) - Contract cancelled on wars end
3. Springfield Armory - Cancelled contract on war's end.

ALL these manufacturers are desired collectibles. All had fragile bluing and seldom found in high condition. Springfield completed the most pistols, compared to the above listed. I would have to look at my references for total production numbers. Serial number indicates later production for your Springfield. Your gun is very collectible. If the clip is Springfield....... and some of the unique Springfield manufactured parts are there, I would place the vale of your gun between $3000 to $4000 to a collector. Maybe a bit more

 

[oldskydog]

This site says it was made in 1915.

http://www.npshistory.com/publications/spar/serial-nos.pdf

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

Those firearms look pretty nice for being over a century old.

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

I think this is a .32 Browning with holster and extra magazine. The letter was written to his Aunt from my Grandfather on January 4, 1919 from Telimo, Austria. It was in the holster. He was in the US Army Ambulance Service with the Italian Army. Grandpa spoke about all the deaths back in the States from the Spanish Infulenza. He love to write back home. Years later when my 2 brothers were in the Service he wrote to them most every week. A lost art....

 

[oldskydog]

Here's my FN 32 Browning in a later model, 1927 I believe.

 

[Phalen409]

Dave,
Your gun is a FN (John Browning) Model 1900 in .32. It was extremely popular in Europe well beyond WW1. The fact that a family member carried it while in the American Ambulance in Italy makes it all the better. When WW1 broke out, America was trying to remain neutral under Wilson. However, Germany did not issue a formal protest for the volunteer American Ambulance Services. In fact, many of the now woke universities, purchased their own Model T's and converted them to ambulances and the students became the Ambulance personnel. Stamford, Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton and others sent Ambulances and volunteers to France and Italy beginning in 1914. Many of the college students went over with the American Ambulance and joined the French Foreign Legion and some went to the Lafayette Escadrille which became the Lafayette Flying Corps when the US entered the war. The American Ambulance was an extremely small group and those in Italy are very rare. If by chance you have his uniform and paperwork, medals, photographs and any other of his material, you would have an archive that would value into the thousands. If he went over with the American 332 Infantry in 1918, he saw a lot of combat and had 30 Ambulance Sections in his infantry division. If you still have his 332 Infantry shoulder sleeve patch in gold bullion, it can fetch up to $500 for the patch alone.
As an aside, Earnest Hemingway was in the Ambulance Corps.

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

Thank you for the great info Dennis. Cool stuff. In the letter he speaks about many medals he had. I'll have to look around here for them sometime. No uniform that I am aware of, although I may remember seeing it when I was young.