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Early Colt Commando...


Len S
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I found this fresh "out of the woodwork" Colt Commando at a local gun show today. It's one of the early units with a three digit serial # and wood grips. It's dry as a bone and doesn't look like it's been lubricated recently or in the distant past since there isn't a trace of dried oil or grease on the old girl. I've always wanted a CC for my collection but was always put off by the grips as they have a sort of "Franzite" look about them (IMHO). I like the wood grips much better :). Here are some pics.

 

Len

 

 

 

Commando1a.jpeg

 

 

 

 

Commando3.jpegCommando4a.jpegCommando6a.jpeg

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Charlie Flick

That's a neat one, Lenny, and a very clean machine. Only the very earliest Commandos came with the checkered walnut stocks. Do you plan to get a factory letter for it?

 

Regards,

Charlie

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That's a neat one, Lenny, and a very clean machine. Only the very earliest Commandos came with the checkered walnut stocks. Do you plan to get a factory letter for it?

 

Regards,

Charlie

Hi Charlie it's good to hear from you. I wasn't planing on getting a letter , do you think this piece warrants one?

 

Best regards,

Len

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Charlie Flick

Hey Lenny:

 

The factory letters on Colts are always a crap shoot, but here I would probably gamble on getting one (since I am gambling with your money!) I don't maintain a database on the Commandos but I know that many of the earliest guns were Defense Supply Corporation authorized shipments to civilian destinations. For example, serial 213 shipped on 12/24/42 to the Buick Motor Division in Flint, Michigan as one of 84 guns in the shipment. (It too has the wooden stocks but the factory letter says "Not Listed" on the stocks question.) Some guys are put off by the DSC guns favoring the military shipments, but I happen to like both. I think if it was my gun I would probably get a letter. If you do get one I hope that you will post back here with the results.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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Hi Charlie,

I saw the letter on #213 assigning it to Buick. I'm considering getting a Colt letter but I'm afraid It would be my luck to discover the pistol was sent to Hormel where it guarded shipments of SPAM.

 

Regards,

Len

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Hello

My philosophy is that any history is history. Whether it went to a defense plant or actual war use, the history should be documented and saved.

Wasn't SPAM an important cog in the war machine!

Ron

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Hello

My philosophy is that any history is history. Whether it went to a defense plant or actual war use, the history should be documented and saved.

Wasn't SPAM an important cog in the war machine!

Ron

Yes SPAM was important to the war effort. My Dad was on a DE in the Pacific and said SPAM tasted like filet mignon after a steady diet of Australian mutton.

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I'm a Colt guy and my gut tells me your Commando is top notch, Len. Nice set of photos, too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

From the photos, it does not look seriously degraded from a lack of care. A little oil and TLC and it will probably be fine.

 

Very nice Ordnance proof mark.

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1SG_1st_Cav

It's funny that Len S mentioned Australian Mutton. In late April 1968 the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam received a large shipment of Australian Mutton.

The first day we had it for lunch. The second day we had it for breakfast and lunch. By the 3rd day those of us that didn't weigh much more than 125 pounds came down with dysentery. And it would just hit you and you couldn't hold it back. 20,000 men came down with this but the HQ would not admit it was bad mutton. They claimed the VC poisoned our water supply. But those 20,000 men did not get their water from the same water point as they were scattered over 100 miles apart. We all had to take gamma globulin shots that hurt like hell. It took over three weeks for most to get over the

effects. But some of us still suffer from that even today. BTW, we ran out of TP after the first week. Then the Overseas Times ran out. Next were the

DA Form 2404 that we used when we pulled maintenance on our vehicles. After that it was whatever you could find to wipe yourself with.

 

I have never eaten as much as a lamb chop since 1968! By I have eaten SPAM ~ Danny

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  • 1 month later...

I have the SRS data. No hit on your serial though, but the closest was issued to the IRS. :)

 

347 061420RARITAN ARS
368 061420RARITAN ARS
386 051701USS PARAQUA
387 092750IRS
447 110839PUBLIC BLDG ADMIN
460 071621CUSTOMS
462 121442OSS SSO WASHINGTON
469 1901 062129AGRICULTURE DEPT
500 041394COLT TO ORD OFFICE
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I have the SRS data. No hit on your serial though, but the closest was issued to the IRS. :)

 

347 061420RARITAN ARS
368 061420RARITAN ARS
386 051701USS PARAQUA
387 092750IRS
447 110839PUBLIC BLDG ADMIN
460 071621CUSTOMS
462 121442OSS SSO WASHINGTON
469 1901 062129AGRICULTURE DEPT
500 041394COLT TO ORD OFFICE

 

Even more reason to get a Colt letter, there are endless possibilities.....

 

Also, I could find no refrence to the USS Paraqua other than a gunboat that was decommissioned in 1919.

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The title of the SRS is .38 Colt DA. I wonder if more than the commando is listed in it. I guess I never gave it much thought. But the date on the ship in the SRS is 1901, so it couldn't have been the commando.

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  • 2 weeks later...
17thairborne

If you are referring to the shipping info for the one that is listed on the internet for sale, just go to the link in my post. It has the basic details from the Colt factory letter. As soon as mine arrives I'll post the information.

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IIRC, very few of the 2 inch Commandos went to the OSS, mostly 4 inch barrels. The majority went to Army CID and Army Intelligence units.

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Not trying to pick on you, 17thairborne, but gap is correct about the OSS getting mostly 4" guns. Also, Military Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence operated out of Maryland but the OSS HQ was a large complex in Washington DC. The majority of guns that shipped to the OSS went to their warehouse in Rosslyn, VA.

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17thairborne

Guys,

Thanks guys for that info. :) I could not find a lot online about the 2" barrel, only that 3000 were made (perhaps another order for 500 more) and most went to IN type units. Is there a good reference book on the Commando?

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