IN 95% NICE BEEN THERE DONE THAT CONDITION, WE HAVE RARE EXAMPLE OF AN EARLY MARCH/APRIL, 1943 ITHACA 1911A1 U.S. ARMY SERVICE PISTOL. THIS COMES WITH AN ENGER KRESS 1944 DATED M3 SHOULDER HOLSTER WHICH INDICATES THIS PISTOL WAS LIKELY PILOT OR AIR CREW CARRIED.
IMPORTANTLY, THIS WAS ONE OF THE INITIAL, VERY FIRST MONTHS PRODUCTION PISTOLS, ASSEMBLED IN MARCH AND SHIPPED OUT IN EARLY APRIL, 1943. THIS PISTOL IS DESIRABLE AS IT HAS EARLY ITHACA FEATURES SUCH AS THE FLAMING BOMB PROOFS IN THE RECEIVER WELL AND ON THE BACK OF THE SLIDE. ALSO THERE IS THE SMALL FJA ACCEPTANCE STAMP. THE BORE OF THE HIGH STANDARD MADE BARREL IS DECENT BUT NOT MINT.
THIS PISTOL HAS THE EARLY DULITE SAND BLASTED BLUE FINISH, WHICH IS RARE ON AN ITHACA AND SELDOM SEEN. AS IS CHARACTERISTIC OF ITHACA’S INITIAL PRODUCTION, IT IS NOT OVERLY WELL FINISHED, AND IT A BIT ROUGH LOOKING COMPARED TO A COLT FROM THE SAME PERIOD. THIS PISTOL IS 100% CORRECT AS IT LEFT THE FACTORY AS PER CLAWSON.
THIS IS A NICE PISTOL THAT HAS SEEN SOME USE BUT WAS WELL CARED FOR. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH INTEREST OF LATE IN THE ITHACA MADE GUNS. PEOPLE HAVE BECOME AWARE THAT THEY DID NOT MAKE NEARLY AS MANY AS COLT OR REM RAND DID. WHILE NOT NEARLY AS SCARCE AS A UNION SWITCH THEY ARE NOT PARTICULARLY COMMON AND ONE MADE THIS EARLY IS CERTAIN TO BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO A LOT OF COLLECTORS AND WILL NOT HANG AROUND FOR LONG!
