Documented Colt 1903 General Officer's Pistol Grouping, Major General Henry K. Benson Jr.
Our Assessment: This example was originally shipped to Springfield Armory in January of 1945 and Springfield's records indicate that it was issued to Colonel Henry Kreitzer Benson Jr. in March, 1961, shortly before his promotion to Brigadier General. Benson had quite the career, commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1936, promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1939. He was stationed in Honolulu with the Hawaiian Department Military Police Company when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He accompanied the 89th Division to the European Theater and was an Infantry Battalion Commander for the Rhineland Central Germany campaigns. He served as Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Advisory Group in Korea in 1961 and returned to the United States in 1963 and was placed in command of XX U.S. Army Corps in 1965, retiring in 1967.This information was helpfully supplied by the National Archives and the extensive documentation is included with the pistol along with the General's uniform, ribbons, medals, and other accouterments including original documents from his service. General Officer's pistols are highly collected and should be of interest to the Colt connoisseur or the US Military arms collector. This one will add to even the most advanced collections with its extensively documented history and accompanying items. Please see our photos and good luck!
Make: Colt
Model: 1903 Pocket Hammerless
Serial Number: 570113
Year of Manufacture: 1944 (https://colt.com/serial-lookup), shipped January, 1945, issued March 6, 1961.
Caliber: .32 A.C.P.
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto Pistol with Removable Magazine
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade fixed to the top of the slide with a serrated, ramped rear face. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with silver-colored Rampant Colt medallions at the tops of the grips. The grips have light handling wear with a few nicks and scuffs. There is some discoloration. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent very minor erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 9 out of 10.Many military and C&R-eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide.
Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 97% of its metal finish. There is infrequent edge-thinning and some minor scuffing. There are a few thin, light scratches, mostly around the safety lever on the left of the frame. The action shows minor operational wear. The screwhead is tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide has light play to the frame. The pistol has a grip safety, a manual safety and a magazine disconnect. The safety is designed to be used to lock the slide back or forward. We did not fire this gun. 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 8-round magazine, a black leather General Officer holster, belt and buckle, two-star General pins, an assortment of ribbon racks and medals plastic stands as well as some in issue boxes, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and Ulchi Korean Order of Military Merit in issue cases, Major General rank plate and flags, baton engraved "Brigadier General Henry K. Benson Jr.", two star felt cap, American flag with gold fringe, General Benson's uniform and cap. A series of documentation is included about the pistol and its previous owner. A Colt Archive letter is included which states that this pistol shipped to Springfield Armory on January 30, 1945 as one of 1,000 guns of the same type in the shipment. A Springfield Research Service letter is included which states that this pistol was issued to Colonel H. K. Benson Jr. on March 6, 1961 (he was promoted to Brigadier General May 1, 1961). A number of photos of General Benson are included. The documents include the original certificates issued on his commissioning as 2nd Lieutenant, each of his Bronze Stars, and graduating the Regular Course, Infantry School.
CA LEGAL: C&R: YES, PPT: YES
HANDGUNS/PISTOLS