My most valuable Colt Government Model!!
 

Here is the first handgun I ever fired when I was about 10 years old. A 1940 Colt Government Model that my father carried as a Texas County Sheriff. After his death in 1946, it came to me and one of my sons had it for many years. After he was killed, it came back to me. It was well used and had a bad slide, so I found another unmarked slide and engraved it as shown.

I had a good friend of mine engrave and restore it to it's former beauty...

When my father died, the county commisioners appointed my mother to serve out my fathers term, so my parents both were Texas sheriffs. Not many people can make that claim!!!!

There were only 400 Government Models produced by Colt in 1940. A very rare puppy indeed!

1940----S/N C198900 to C199299----400

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Very nice John, something to be proud of.

Ed

John,

That piece is an invaluable artifact of American history. I would surmise it is at the center of your collection. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

What a wonderful piece to have in the family.

Cheers and best wishes for a happy new year.

Tom A

John,

Outstanding. I have my father's Savage Model #3 he received in 1928 at the age of 10. He was a Drill Sgt. in WWII at Camp Bowie and Camp Walter in Tx. As a child I recall 3 garands set in his garden at a tripod "camp rest". He watered them right along with his tomatoes. He was very proud of those garands; those years spent cleaning them, inspecting them, and rusting/rotting them into the dirt. Alas, he outlived the garands, but the savage #3 is mine to pass onto my nephew or a niece. If I had a nickel for every squirrel, pigeon, rabbit it has accounted for, I'd be buying Tom A.'s collection or perhaps all your HP's. It was the first gun I ever shot. I also have my first gun, a Ruger 10-22, my mother strong disapproved, that 10th birthday of mine, 1972.

Here is a photo taken of me and my father by my mother outside our home in Sinton, Texas in Dec. 1943. I had just turned 11, and that was my first deer.

BTW, I still have the Winchester Model 94 .30-30......

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Okay, just a really curious question; how many 1911's are we looking at in your collection? Sounds like you're a 1911 collector mainly so I just wondered what or around what number we're talking about. Just disregard question if you would rather not answer. I am just really curious. Thanks

What a treasure!