Jim - I am still looking for a USMC engraved Navy badge if you ever come across one.  Also still looking for the three first-pattern Super Squad badges with the four Marines. Thanks!

RRRRR

I received this very interesting detailed reply from the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum concerning this pistol: 1. Shipment to Remington-UMC (October 1914) Your pistol (C9591) being 1 of 20 shipped to Remington-UMC on Oct 5, 1914 is the key starting point. That is not a normal commercial or military delivery pattern. Small lots like “20 pistols” sent to an ammunition manufacturer strongly suggest: Most likely purpose:   Ammunition development / function testing Establishing reliable .45 ACP loads for wartime production Possibly endurance and pressure testing This fits the context: WWI had just begun (August 1914) Britain and its allies were scrambling to source arms and ammunition in North America UMC (soon part of Remington) was gearing up for large-scale contracts So yes—Colt absolutely did send pistols to ammunition makers. That was standard practice when scaling up production of a cartridge. 2. How did it get into Canadian service? This is the tricky part—and where speculation needs to be disciplined. Known historical anchor:   Canada purchased ~5,000 Colt Government Models in late 1914 for the Canadian Expeditionary Force These were shipped directly from Colt—not via intermediaries like Remington Your pistol’s path (most plausible reconstruction): Scenario A (most likely)   Colt ships pistol to Remington-UMC for testing After testing, pistol becomes surplus / retained inventory It is later: Sold commercially or Transferred as part of broader wartime supply dealings It enters Canadian service through: Direct purchase Officer private purchase Or informal acquisition early in the war Early-war procurement (late 1914–early 1915) was messy. Canada and Britain were buying anything available. Scenario B (possible, but less provable)   Remington-UMC acted as a procurement intermediary The pistol was bundled into shipments tied to: ammunition contracts here is precedent: Remington Arms supplied rifles and handled foreign contracts They also arranged handgun supply (e.g., S&W .455s for Britain) But: there is no direct evidence that these 20 Colts were officially forwarded to Canada as a batch. Scenario C (least likely but often suggested) “Smuggled” or informally diverted into Canada This is usually overstated. While early war procurement was chaotic, outright smuggling is not needed to explain this pistol’s path. 3. Canadian marking (C Broad Arrow) The Canadian “C broad arrow” on the magazine is important: Likely applied to replacement or spare magazines (1915 onward) Matches your note that early pistols shipped with unmarked mags This suggests: The pistol was in Canadian service long enough to receive replacement equipment The magazine is not necessarily original to the pistol 4. British proof marks (Birmingham) The Birmingham Proof House marks tell a very clear story: BNP (Birmingham Nitro Proof) = civilian/commercial proof Required when: A firearm enters civilian market in the UK Or is exported commercially Your dating (1958) is very plausible: Post-WWII surplus disposal British/Commonwealth pistols sold off commercially Proofed before sale/export This means: This means The pistol remained in British/Commonwealth control through WWII Then entered civilian circulation in the late 1950s 5. WWII barrel on a WWI pistol Completely normal. Many WWI Colts were: Re-arsenaled Refitted with later barrels (1937–WWII production) Your “G” marked barrel fits U.S. government contract replacement barrels (pre-1943) This strongly supports: Continued service life into WWII Likely refurbishment in a British or Canadian system 6. Putting it all together (clean timeline) Most defensible reconstruction: 1914 – Manufactured by Colt Oct 5, 1914 – Shipped to Remington-UMC for ammo testing 1914–1915 – Leaves Remington inventory (sale/transfer) WWI – Enters Canadian service (CEF), magazine later replaced Interwar / WWII – Remains in Commonwealth service, refurbished (new barrel) Post-1945 – Declared surplus ~1958 – Proofed at Birmingham for civilian sale/export Later – Returns to North America Bottom line answers to your core questions Did Colt send pistols to ammo makers for testing? Yes—very likely in this case. That’s the most solid conclusion. Did Remington-UMC forward it to Canada? Possible, but unproven. More likely: it left Remington as surplus and was later acquired through wartime purchasing channels. Is the Canadian/British service story believable? Yes—strongly supported by: Canadian-marked magazine British proof marks WWII replacement barrel Final assessment Your pistol is a legitimate multi-service gun with a complex but believable chain: Non-standard origin (test gun) Early wartime acquisition Canadian service Extended Commonwealth use Postwar British disposal  

Ciao grazie mille della risposta credevo fosse una riproduzione moderna invece mi stai dicendo che sono anni 50 e originali 🙏🏻

Thank you gentlemen! I will scour the site above. I didn't have any soldier in particular in mind, but I come across names and unless I find a dog tag with it, it's always a curiosity.

really nice and with good research ! well done

Thanks for the touching words about my grandfather. I just saw a sweet movie called "Enchanted Cottage" which was set two months before my mom's birthday and maybe six months before my grandfather died as a chaplain. I'll check the dates.

Hello everyone. Got the decals done on the airframe. Still need to paint the canopy and the propeller and nose spinner and decal it. So far, so good.   Semper Fi.   Manny  

The books are great, but they should come with a warning label: "finding the items inside can be addictive" Nice knives too!

I was the commanding officer of the 27th Chemical Detachment from Oct 1969 to Sep 1970 and I've never seen that patch.