The accompanying factory letter lists this pistol as a Colt Transition Model 1911 with 5 inch barrel in .45 caliber, blue finish, type of stocks not listed and new style trigger, grip safety and mainspring housing when shipped to the Springfield Armory, Springfield, Massachusetts, as part of a 1,000 gun shipment on March 10, 1924. Transition Model 1911s are found in the 700,001 to 710,000 serial number and were manufactured in 1924. Also known as the Improved Model 1911A1 Pistol, the Transitional 1911s retain the nomenclature markings of the 1911, but were equipped with the signature features of the 1911A1 which included the dished frame sides, shortened trigger, elongated grip safety, and arched mainspring housing. This pistol has a slide with the Rampant Colt between the two-line, two-block patent dates and address marking on the left side and "MODEL of 1911. U.S. ARMY" on the right side, Walter T. Gorton inspected frame, "HP" marked barrel and full blue magazine. This pistol was once the personal sidearm carried by famed World War II American ace Colonel Francis "Gabby" Gabreski (1919-2002). In an included signed letter on Col. Gabreski’s own letterhead, Gabreski states “that the .45 Cal. Automatic pistol serial #703513 was my personal weapon to be used in case of necessity during WWII.” Gabreski states that in July 1954 he presented this pistol to Dr. Felix Stegelske, an extended member of the Gabreski family by marriage, “as a memento of WWII.” Dr. Felix Stegelske’s (1894-1979) daughter Collette (1918-2004) married Thaddeus S. Gabreski (1912-1979). Colonel Gabreski was the leading American fighter ace in Europe during World War II with 28 confirmed air to air kills. Only three other American pilots, all in the Pacific theater, shot down more enemy aircraft. He was an eyewitness to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Because of his Polish heritage (he was born to Polish immigrants and spoke Polish) which gave him a strong connection to the suffering of Poles at the hands of the Nazis, Gabreski requested to be assigned to a Polish fighter unit attached to the Royal Air Force and flew 20 missions over Europe with Polish pilots before joining the American 56th Fighter Group of the U.S. 8th Air Force. In only 17 months Gabreski shot down 28 German aircraft, the highest total for any 8th Air Force pilot. He became a national hero, and his aerial exploits are legendary. On what was to be his last mission, Gabreski crash landed his P-47 Thunderbolt in Germany in late July 1944 and despite a daring attempt to evade capture, he spent the next 10 months as a prisoner of war. He returned to combat during the Korean War flying the F-86 Sabre and scored 6 ½ more air to air victories.

Fine, retaining 85% of the arsenal black finish with high edge wear and some areas of smooth brown patina. The slide is an aresenal replacement. The grips are fine with some blemishes and moderate even wear visible in the checkering more prevalent on the right panel. Mechanically excellent. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a Model 1911 pistol documented to famed World War II ace Colonel Francis "Gabby" Gabreski." It is not often that we catalog firearms directly linked to famed aviators. This pistol will be a welcomed addition to any Colt 1911 or World War II collection.