21NAVY Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Ran across a 1921 Colt Commercial 1911. Had been looking for quite awhile but only 2000 were produced and were a transition gun, so they are a bit hard to find.I picked this up for a good price and it has kind of an interesting Gangster look to it. It has 6 diagonal hash marks cut into the top diamond of the right grip. It's been carried and has some holster wear from a shoulder rig that the guy lost after he acquired the pistol. The Thompson is a Navy overstamp S/N 3684 Known as the George Wallace Gun. Terry Williams got it out of the Montgomery AL PD yeas ago, and Wallace kept the Thompson in the Governor's mansion during the race riots in the 60's. It's wearing Savage parts because I shot it recently but has all correct Colt parts and a pristine 3 digit Colt L Drum and 4 patent date mags. The Thompson Catalog is an original and has Oscar Payne's handwriting across the bottom of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sig Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Very nice collection there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Excellent stuff! Please tell us more about the 1923 Catalog... Thanks! David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph12297 Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Very nice! Great collection, would like to know more about the catalog also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hntrdarren Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Very nice, love that catalog. Thanks for posting the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 I was looking thru an obscure odd website of military and civilian publications and manuals. On about the 50th page of the website I came across a photo of the catalog. the photo was turned vertical and wasn't very good, so I called the guy and asked the million dollar question about the flap on the drum case. Thanks to David and Sig for putting out such a good edition on the paper products.He gave the correct answer and without seeming interested too much, I asked to pay for it and have it shipped. After it arrived, Along the bottom of the Catalog in pencil were the words "return to Payne" I got ahold of David Albert and he examined the writing and compared it to letters Auto-Ordinance Chief Engineer Oscar Payne had hand written to Bill Helmer. David determined that the writing was indeed Payne's as Mr. Payne had a rather interesting way of writing his "P" The document was never offered for sale as an original or advertised as having any writing on it. They guy just though it was an old catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Does anybody know how many of these exist? I think a couple more may have come to light since I found this one. maybe 6 now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph12297 Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 What a great story, I have been looking for years, as have many folks I am sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Dudley Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Very nice score on the pistol and especially the catalog. I did score a nice 1920 Commercial Colt 1911. Thanks for posting. U D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giantpanda4 Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Very nice collection of stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 I was looking thru an obscure odd website of military and civilian publications and manuals. On about the 50th page of the website I came across a photo of the catalog. the photo was turned vertical and wasn't very good, so I called the guy and asked the million dollar question about the flap on the drum case. Thanks to David and Sig for putting out such a good edition on the paper products.He gave the correct answer and without seeming interested too much, I asked to pay for it and have it shipped. After it arrived, Along the bottom of the Catalog in pencil were the words "return to Payne" I got ahold of David Albert and he examined the writing and compared it to letters Auto-Ordinance Chief Engineer Oscar Payne had hand written to Bill Helmer. David determined that the writing was indeed Payne's as Mr. Payne had a rather interesting way of writing his "P" The document was never offered for sale as an original or advertised as having any writing on it. They guy just though it was an old catalog. 21NAVY, I remember now...It seems like it was about 7 or 8 years ago. It was an exceptional find! The estimate of 6 of these still known to exist is probably about right. I have one, which is stamped by the U.S. Patent Office, and Sig has one, and Tracie has at least one. 21NAVY's makes 4, and it seems like I encountered another one somewhere a while back. BTW, now you have me intrigued about a 1921 M1911 Commercial... David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted January 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 2009 I believe. Paid a whopping 75 dollars for it.. I love those old Commercials, figured it would make a fun mate to the Thompson. I had looked and looked and Chuck Olsen called and found this one. I'm just glad he even remembered I was looking. I had wanted one with a nicer finish but they are hard to find and this one had the funky notches in the handgrip so I couldn't pass it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 21NAVY, Yes, I remembered the price correctly, though I guess I was off by a year or 2. TD and I were discussing it earlier today in an e-mail. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted January 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 The guy I got the catalog from got it and some other stuff from a guy down in FL I think that had made some Commercial type low budget Thompson videos at a range. Big guy maybe with a beard. At least that's where Terry Williams and I figured it came from.Can't remember his name, maybe someone will know. He had that catalog for years and it never sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptCurl Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I like your two Colts. From my collection, the nearest I can come in date to my 1921AC is a Government Model that shipped in 1917 and a U.S. Property M1911 with brushed blue finish from early 1918. Don't have photos at hand, so only can talk about them just now. The nearest date of later vintage from my collection is a Super .38 Automatic from 1936. Nice stuff! Curl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waffen Und Bier Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Very nice set up, 21NAVY. I display a Wallace Lemay button and sticker with my Colt ArmaLite 601 and Vietnam display. Got the sticker and button from someone who worked on their campaign back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Was visiting with TD a couple days ago about the proof stamps my 28 has. It has Birmingham Arsenal proofs on the receiver and the lower grip frame. Sort of an oddity. The Thompson came to me in a case and had 3 Wallace pins. The bumper sticker and one other pin I acquired later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timkel Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Beautiful Colt commercial 1911. Wide spur hammer, flat mainspring housing, double diamond grips = perfection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timkel Posted January 31, 2015 Report Share Posted January 31, 2015 I do not know the seller. EARLY 1928 Colt 45. over 186 pictures. Is that the original finish?http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=464497652 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining Brass Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Nice little set up. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21NAVY Posted February 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I think he forgot to write 4,500 words detailing the pitting in the frame. Not really sure why a 28 model would be worth that, but the effort in typing all that was breathtaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin601 Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 that is nice, very focused collecting. The political stuff really adds to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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