Description
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Item Description
Bryant Ridge Auction Company is pleased to present this WWII Military Production double- action revolver today for a penny start auction, this is the Colt Commando!
According to an included letter from Paul's Gun Room, LLC. "The purpose of this statement is to record the historical background associated with this World War II Military Production Colt Commander revolver, serial number 32326.
The Colt Commando .38 Special Revolver reference above is unfired in a dull military finish with Colt wood brown plastic grips. The upper frame is marked with the inspector stamp GHD over an U.S. Ordnance Bomb. The top of the barrel is marked "COLT'S PT. FA. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A., PAT'D. AUG 5. 1884 JULY 4, 1905. OCT,5.1926." The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT COMMANDO" over ".38 SPECIAL." The lower side of the frame at the forward trigger guard junction is marked with the Colt triangular proof mark.
This gun is one of 140 Colt Commando Revolvers which were unissued, most of which were still in the original shipping box serial numbered to the gun. They were donated by the Alabama National Guard to the Marion Military Institution Museum in March of 2011. The background on these guns is quite interesting. Early in World War II, United States Army Ordnance withdrew the .45 automatic pistols which were in the possession if the Alabama National Guard. The Guard then ordered through Ordnance of replacement, the Colt Commando .38 Special Revolver. As luck would have it, the U.S. Army reissued the Alabama National Guard with .45 automatic pistols with before the replacement Colt Commandos arrived. When the replacement Commandos arrived they were placed in storage, never issued and never fired. We do not know the exact number of revolvers which were in the replacement order but they remained in storage from 1943 until March 2011. For sixty eight years, the great majority of these replacement revolvers sat silently in the Alabama National Guard storage."
According to an included letter from Paul's Gun Room, LLC. "The purpose of this statement is to record the historical background associated with this World War II Military Production Colt Commander revolver, serial number 32326.
The Colt Commando .38 Special Revolver reference above is unfired in a dull military finish with Colt wood brown plastic grips. The upper frame is marked with the inspector stamp GHD over an U.S. Ordnance Bomb. The top of the barrel is marked "COLT'S PT. FA. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A., PAT'D. AUG 5. 1884 JULY 4, 1905. OCT,5.1926." The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT COMMANDO" over ".38 SPECIAL." The lower side of the frame at the forward trigger guard junction is marked with the Colt triangular proof mark.
This gun is one of 140 Colt Commando Revolvers which were unissued, most of which were still in the original shipping box serial numbered to the gun. They were donated by the Alabama National Guard to the Marion Military Institution Museum in March of 2011. The background on these guns is quite interesting. Early in World War II, United States Army Ordnance withdrew the .45 automatic pistols which were in the possession if the Alabama National Guard. The Guard then ordered through Ordnance of replacement, the Colt Commando .38 Special Revolver. As luck would have it, the U.S. Army reissued the Alabama National Guard with .45 automatic pistols with before the replacement Colt Commandos arrived. When the replacement Commandos arrived they were placed in storage, never issued and never fired. We do not know the exact number of revolvers which were in the replacement order but they remained in storage from 1943 until March 2011. For sixty eight years, the great majority of these replacement revolvers sat silently in the Alabama National Guard storage."
SPECIFICATIONS:
Manufacturer: Colt
Model: Commando
Serial: 32326
Date of Manufacture: 1942
Caliber: .38 Special
Finish: Parco-Lubrite (Parkerized)
Barrel Length: 4"
Optics/Sights: Round Blade Front with Frame Notched Rear
Stock/Grips: Brown Checkered Synthetic "Coltwood" Grips
Action: Double
Markings: The upper frame is marked with the inspector stamp GHD over an U.S. Ordnance Bomb. The top of the barrel is marked "COLT'S PT. FA. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A., PAT'D. AUG 5. 1884 JULY 4, 1905. OCT,5.1926." The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT COMMANDO" over ".38 SPECIAL." The lower side of the frame at the forward trigger guard junction is marked with the Colt triangular proof mark.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
When World War Two started America needed firearms and plenty of them. With the US Model 1911-A1 .45 Automatic pistol being committed to standard issue for troops, commercial revolvers were pressed into service for arming defense plant guards, Civil Defense, for sales to civilian police departments, and for some limited issue to the military. Both Colt Firearms and Smith & Wesson were called on to make war-time versions of their standard service type revolvers. S&W responded with a parkerized version of their Model 10 M&P .38 Special revolver they called the "Victory Model". Colt's war-time revolver was a parkerized finished Official Police known as the Colt Commando.
This was nothing more than the Official Police with a dull parkerized finish and reddish-brown plastic grips Colt called "Coltwood". These were standard pre-war type Colt revolvers except the checkering was omitted from the trigger and the cylinder release. The Commando was made in .38 Special, and in 4 inch barrels, with a few 2 inch barrels. Colt manufactured about 50,000 Commandos from 1942 to sometime in 1945. Commando serial numbers started at serial number 1, and went to about 50,617.
Most Commando revolvers had a US Government inspectors "Flaming Bomb" stamp on the top left rear of the frame, but not all guns had these stamps. The Commando had standard Colt inspectors stamps and the Colt "Verified Proof" stamp of a "VP" in a triangle on the left front trigger guard web. The serial number was stamped in standard Colt form of the number stamped on the frame just below the barrel where the cylinder crane seats, on the cylinder crane, and inside the side plate. Colt inspectors stamps are on the left rear of the trigger guard web, on the frame below the serial number, and on the grip frame under the grips. Since the Commando was nothing more than an Official Police, it's not uncommon to find Official Police and Commando revolvers with interchanged parts, such as an Official Police barrel on a Commando frame, or a Commando barrel on an Official Police frame. It's common to find a Commando with replacement commercial walnut grips. After the war ended Commando revolvers were given to other government agencies and police departments. It's not unusual to find Commandos with stamps on the frame or back strap from post-war users, or even multiple users as the guns were passed to other agencies. Some Commandos may have civilian defense company stamps.
Contents:
This example will ship with a serial matching letter from Paul's Gun Room, LLC seen pictured above!
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Model: Commando
Serial: 32326
Date of Manufacture: 1942
Caliber: .38 Special
Finish: Parco-Lubrite (Parkerized)
Barrel Length: 4"
Optics/Sights: Round Blade Front with Frame Notched Rear
Stock/Grips: Brown Checkered Synthetic "Coltwood" Grips
Action: Double
Markings: The upper frame is marked with the inspector stamp GHD over an U.S. Ordnance Bomb. The top of the barrel is marked "COLT'S PT. FA. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CT. U.S.A., PAT'D. AUG 5. 1884 JULY 4, 1905. OCT,5.1926." The left side of the barrel is marked "COLT COMMANDO" over ".38 SPECIAL." The lower side of the frame at the forward trigger guard junction is marked with the Colt triangular proof mark.
Bryant Ridge's Analysis:
When World War Two started America needed firearms and plenty of them. With the US Model 1911-A1 .45 Automatic pistol being committed to standard issue for troops, commercial revolvers were pressed into service for arming defense plant guards, Civil Defense, for sales to civilian police departments, and for some limited issue to the military. Both Colt Firearms and Smith & Wesson were called on to make war-time versions of their standard service type revolvers. S&W responded with a parkerized version of their Model 10 M&P .38 Special revolver they called the "Victory Model". Colt's war-time revolver was a parkerized finished Official Police known as the Colt Commando.
This was nothing more than the Official Police with a dull parkerized finish and reddish-brown plastic grips Colt called "Coltwood". These were standard pre-war type Colt revolvers except the checkering was omitted from the trigger and the cylinder release. The Commando was made in .38 Special, and in 4 inch barrels, with a few 2 inch barrels. Colt manufactured about 50,000 Commandos from 1942 to sometime in 1945. Commando serial numbers started at serial number 1, and went to about 50,617.
Most Commando revolvers had a US Government inspectors "Flaming Bomb" stamp on the top left rear of the frame, but not all guns had these stamps. The Commando had standard Colt inspectors stamps and the Colt "Verified Proof" stamp of a "VP" in a triangle on the left front trigger guard web. The serial number was stamped in standard Colt form of the number stamped on the frame just below the barrel where the cylinder crane seats, on the cylinder crane, and inside the side plate. Colt inspectors stamps are on the left rear of the trigger guard web, on the frame below the serial number, and on the grip frame under the grips. Since the Commando was nothing more than an Official Police, it's not uncommon to find Official Police and Commando revolvers with interchanged parts, such as an Official Police barrel on a Commando frame, or a Commando barrel on an Official Police frame. It's common to find a Commando with replacement commercial walnut grips. After the war ended Commando revolvers were given to other government agencies and police departments. It's not unusual to find Commandos with stamps on the frame or back strap from post-war users, or even multiple users as the guns were passed to other agencies. Some Commandos may have civilian defense company stamps.
Contents:
This example will ship with a serial matching letter from Paul's Gun Room, LLC seen pictured above!
Return Policy:
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Shipping Details
Handgun Standard Shipping $50.00
Long Gun Standard Shipping $70.00
We strive to ship orders within the close of the following business day after payment and documentation is received.
Payment Details
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Please note we place a 7 business day hold on shipment, for all non-certified payments.
Return Policy
We gladly offer a 3 day unfired inspection policy from the time that the firearm is delivered to your FFL. Refunds are available for all qualifying orders.
Additional Details
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