Russian Contract Colt Government Model pistol with Colt factory letter. The letter states that this pistol, serial number "C66614", was one of 300 Government Model Automatic Pistols shipped to the "Government of Russia" on October 7, 1916. The Imperial Russian government purchased 51,000 commercial .45 Government Model pistols from Colt between February 1916 and January 1917. The Russian Contract pistols were marked with the abbreviated Cyrillic marking "English Order" on the left side of the frame. A Colt Russian Contract Government Model is believed to have been one of the weapons used to execute the Czar of Russia and his family on July 16, 1918. Very few Russian Contract Government Model pistols survived WWI and the Russian Revolution to return to the United States. The Russian Contract pistols are one of the hardest of all the Colt Government Model, M1911 and M1911A1 variations to obtain. The left side of the frame is roll-stamped with the Cyrillic markings "ENGLISH ORDER". The Colt 'Triangle/VP' proofmark is stamped on the left front of the trigger guard bow and a "Y" assembler's mark is stamped on the rear of the bow. The right side of the frame is roll-stamped "GOVERNMENT MODEL/C 66614" behind the disconnector hole. The right side of the slide is roll-stamped "COLT AUTOMATIC/CALIBRE 45" in front of the ejection port. The left side of the slide is roll-stamped with the Colt 1897-1913 patent dates in a two-line block followed by the two-line Hartford address. The Rampant Colt trademark is roll-stamped on the left side of the slide behind the grip serrations. All of the frame and slide markings use the early Roman (serif) style letters. The top of the frame has a "P" stamped to the right of the disconnector hole and "H" stamped behind it. A small "P" proofmark is stamped on the underside of the barrel in front of the lug. A "U" sub-inspection mark is stamped in front of the proofmark. The pistol has the correct short hammer with rounded rear edge, safety lock with thick thumb-piece and slide stop with plunger groove. The barrel is blue with a polished chamber. The oil-finished checkered walnut grips have diamond escutcheons surrounding the grip screws. The pistol has a two-tone flat base magazine.

Very fine. The pistol has been professionally restored. The slide, frame and small components have a commercial blue finish that is indistinguishable from the original Commercial Colt blue. All of the markings on the left side of the frame are sharp. The grips are excellent. The magazine has nearly 95% of the blue finish. Russian Contract pistols are extremely rare in any condition and are invariably in poor condition from hard service in a hostile environment. Very few, if any, Russian Contract Government Model Pistols exist in excellent or better original condition. This example of a Russian Contract Government Model Automatic pistol is in the condition that it would have appeared when it was shipped to Russia in 1916. This is a great example of a key piece in any collection of Colt firearms or Colt Automatic Pistols.