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1918 WWI Colt Model of 1911 US Army with WWII Wakayama Landing Plans & Report

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
1918 WWI Colt Model of 1911 US Army with WWII Wakayama Landing Plans & Report
1918 WWI Colt Model of 1911 US Army with WWII 533rd eB&SR Wakayama Landing Plans & Report

Our Assessment: Per our consignor, this pistol was acquired from the son of Robert F. Buzzini, an officer with the 533rd engineer Boat & Shore Regiment. The consignor related that Buzzini had told him he preferred a .38 revolver due to the weight of the 1911, and so his issued pistol stayed in a foot locker the great majority of his service time. We were not able to find more details about Buzzini's service, but the 533rd eB&SR participated in combat landings in New Guinea and the Philippines from 1943 into 1945. Included with the pistol is a plan for the occupation landing at Wakayama in Japan as well as a report on the outcome of the landing. The report is quite detailed, including a map and various charts, but also notes that 533rd eB&SR command staff had returned to Oahu in July, 1945 to plan for their part in Operation Olympic, the invasion of the Japanese home islands. The 533rd was attached to 98th Division and was in the process of planning for the invasion when the Japanese sued for peace and eventually surrendered. Planning swiftly pivoted from invasion to occupation and landings would take place September 27, 1945. You can actually see some footage from the landing provided by the National Archives Video Collection. This is a very nice example of a WWI-era 1911 in its own right. The included documents and photos from WWII only make it all the more special. After all, how many people have actual landing plans and reports from WWII in their collection? Please see our photos and good luck!

Make: Colt

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 222199

Year of Manufacture: 1918

Caliber: .45 ACP

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a round blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a "U"-notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. The grips have minor handling wear with only a few light marks and some light tool marks in the diamonds around the grip screws. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition. Please note: The top-left grip screw is seized in its bushing, turning the screw head turns the bushing in the frame. The bushing and frame threads are intact.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is light gray and the rifling is sharp. There is scattered light erosion in the bore, more in the grooves than on the lands. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6 or 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 95% of its metal finish. The finish is slightly thinning at most edges. There are some scattered minor scuffs, nicks and small scratches. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Fine condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. It has both a manual and grip safety and the trigger pull is crisp. The slide has nominal play to the frame. We did not fire this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with a single 7-round magazine and a brown leather M1912 holster. Also included is a 21 August, 1945 dated plan for 533rd engineer Boat & Shore Regiment (less Boat Battalion) and attached units to land at Wakayama for the occupation of Japan as well as a 14 October, 1945 dated report detailing the results of the landing. The plan and report are in a jacket marked "OCCUPATION OF JAPAN / B-10 / OPeRATION", the cover previously had a 533rd eB&SR tag. The tag has fallen off, but is included. A series of photos and negatives are included, per our consignor they are of or from Robert F. Buzzini, an officer of the Regiment.

CA LeGAL: C&R: YeS, CA PPT: YeS