Just spent about 2 hours cleaning up this old autoloader. I figured I would share it. It is a Colt Model of 1911 chambered in .45 Auto. According to the Colt website It was manufactured in 1918 and has a mark on the frame United States Property - Eagle Head with S11 and several Letters H / S on the interior and a P on the barrel. It has a two tone magazine. This is both my oldest and largest pistol both in size and caliber. There is something inscribed on the inside of the grips - that I can see from the mag well but I have never attempted to remove the grips.
My wife inherited the same pistol from her Grandfather who served in WWI. I contacted Colt and confirmed it was manufactured in 1918. Colt could not provided any more history because the records were lost or destroyed. I had a gunsmith clean it. He touched up the finished, not blued, and reported that some of the internal parts were not original and the bore was in good shape. I also have a holster and a small cardboard box of original .45 caliber ammo with a 1915 date of manufacture on the box. The gunsmith reported that it was safe to shoot. And I have shot it in the past but not in many years.
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