These M15 pistols were manufactured and issued by Rock Island Arsenal beginning in the early 1970s through approximately 1985 when the U.S. Army adopted the Beretta M9 pistol. They were manufactured by using a standard M1911A1 pistol, milling off old markings and then applying the new M15 markings; shortening the slide and barrel assembly to 4 1/4 inches and installing high profile sights. The left side of the slide is marked: "General Officer Model/RIA", and the right side of the frame is marked "Serial No. GO 258" above the grips. The grips are checkered walnut, and the right side is inlaid with a cast RIA Ordnance Corp emblem that consists of the "crossed-cannons" surrounded with a leather belt insignia that has "ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL" on the belt and the "Shell/Flame" and "Ordnance Bomb" at the top. The pistol has a highly polished blue finish on all the parts aside from the chrome plated barrel. The left grip has an unmarked name plate inset. It comes with one original WWII GI magazine that has the capital letter "G" on the front lip. This specific M15 General Officer Pistol was issued to Brigadier General Leo Golash and is listed in "The Colt U.S. General Officers' Pistol" by Horace Greeley IV p. 149 as being issued in 1974. Brigadier General Golash enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and attended OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga., in the same year. After being commissioned, he was assigned to the 71st Infantry Regiment of the 44th Division at Ft. Lewis, Washington. He served in the same unit during WWII and Korea and was captured by the Germans in late 1944. He was eventually repatriated in March 1945. During WWII, he received the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal and the WWII Victory Medal. He also received his BS degree in Business Administration in 1953 and an MBA in 1955. He also owned and operated General Insurance agencies in the Springfield, Easthampton, and Chicopee areas of Massachusetts. He was commissioned as a brigadier general in 1974 when he was assigned as the commanding general of the 187th Separate Infantry Brigade (Army Reserve) in Boston, Mass. He was interned in the Arlington National Cemetery in November, 2001.

Very fine with 85% of the original RIA refurbished blue finish with edge and high spot wear, with the front grip strap, mainspring housing and rear edges of the frame having browned out. The walnut grips are also very fine with nice distinct/sharp checkering on both sides. Mechanically excellent. This is a very fine example of an identified RIA M15 General Officers pistol.