This is an exceptional, high condition, early 1913 manufactured Colt Government Model Semi-Automatic Pistol. The pistol has the highly desirable high polish, almost mirror blue commercial finish with standard checkered walnut grips and the highly desirable and very fragile, heat blued, trigger, hammer, slide lock, safety lock and rear sight that was applied to Colt Government Model pistols until mid-1913. This beautiful early Colt is accompanied by a Colt factory letter dated April 2011, indicating it as being sent to Von Lengerke & Antonine, Chicago Illinois in January 1913, in a 10 gun shipment. It retains all the original early features such as the early oval tapered front sight with the round top 1913 style rear, the type III magazine catch lock installed about serial number C380, the correct short hammer with sharp rear edge and fine checkering, first style checkered slide stop with the checkered thin thumb piece safety lock, and the early inward punched lip on the recoil spring plug. It has the all blued finish on the barrel with the rough milled finish on the chamber area, with the high polished blue on the remaining front end of the barrel. There is a capital letter "C" stamped on the back side of the barrel lug and the rear of the hood of the barrel with a "5" on the underside in front of the lug. The right side of the frame, ahead of the trigger guard is roll stamped "GOVERNMENT MODEL". The serial number "C2341" is stamped on the left side of the frame ahead of the trigger guard. The top of the frame is stamped with "Q" and "S" inspection marks in front and behind the disconnector hole. The right side of the slide is roll stamped "COLT AUTOMATIC/CALIBER 45" in two lines below the ejection port. The left side of the slide is roll stamped with the correct two-line, Colt patent dates followed by the Colt Hartford two-line address block. The circled Rampant Colt is roll stamped on the left side of the slide behind the slide serrations. This beautiful pistol is complete with a standard two-tone magazine with the lanyard loop on the base. It is also accompanied by a short article on these early Colt's and the painstaking, high polish mirror and heat blued finishes applied to these early pistols.

Excellent with 95% of the bright original high polish blue finish with just a hint of edge and high spot wear with some minor blue loss on the very front edges of the slide, with some thinning and blue loss on the front grip strap and rear mainspring housing. 97% plus of the vivid niter blue remains on the small parts. The grips are also in excellent condition with nice distinct, sharp checkering on both sides with just a couple of minor nicks/chips to a couple of the checkered diamonds. This exceptionally high condition early Colt Government Model is all original.