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This Colt Government Model was shipped February 1st, 1913 to Lt. Arthur Haines in a single gun shipment. The address of the shipment is unknown and it also notes a Manufacture date of January 25th, 1913. This particular government model was built from one of the rare "Rejected Receivers".
At first glance this pistol appears to be a standard, high condition, early 1913 production government model. Upon Closer inspection there is a previous serial number stamped below the C2706. There is also an "H" and "S" marked on the top of the receiver around the disconnector hole. These markings are the provisional acceptance marking. The "H" for Francis L. Hosmer. The Commercial pistols were marked with an "S"
The serial number that is seen underneath C2706 is number "No 19193". This pistol would have been slated to ship with 500 other pistols January 15th, 1913 to the Commanding Officer at Benicia Arsenal.
Colt's policy was to reprocess all salvageable pistols and components that have been improperly manufactured, produced in surplus or rejected for various reasons. This had been Colt's policy since the 1870's. It's commonly said that "Colt never threw anything away" which in the case of the subject pistol yields true. Duplicate serial numbered and rejected military pistols were often renumbered and converted to Government Model pistols.
In 1918 the ordnance department discovered that Mr. Otto Kuhrt, Colt's chief inspector was rejecting military receivers, slides and barrels for insignificant reasons which were then used for the production of commercial and British contract pistols. After this was discovered the ordnance department prohibited Colt from scrapping any military components.
