The original Colt .45 ACP was the 1905 pistol that featured a
            "spur" type hammer and short grip. The slide was locked by a pin
            near the muzzle end of the gun, just above the frame. The Model
            1911, an improvement on the 1905 design, incorporated a longer,
            more angled grip and a grip safety. The pinned slide was
            replaced by the barrel bushing system.

            In 1913, John Browning patented an improved M1911 that
            required fewer parts and did away with the need for tools to
            disassemble the pistol. From the 1920's on, subtle changes were
            made to the basic M1911 design. Changes such as the spur on the
            safety grip being extended and the use of Patridge sights are
            immediately noticeable. Civilian models of the M1911 have
            serial numbers starting with the letter "C", up until 1950.
            During World War I and World War II, the demand for the
            M1911 was so large that Colt could not fulfill all the government
            orders. The company licensed the manufacture of the pistol to
            other companies. They were: Remington Arms Co., Remington
            Rand Co., North American Arms Co. Ltd. (Quebec, Ontario,
            Canada), Ithaca Gun Co., Singer Sewing Machine Co., Union
            Switch & Signal Co., and Springfield Armory Govt. Arsenal.
            Over 2-1/2 million M1911 pistols were ordered for World War
            I. They usually sported a blued finish. The ones that you might
            find now of that era with parkerized finishes are the ones that
            were refinished at one of the government arsenals after the war.
            The 1911 model pistols produced just prior to and for World War
            II were designated as the Model 1911A1. Over million and a half
            military Model 1911A1 pistols were produced from 1924 to
            1945.

            In the early 1930's, Colt offered a target version of the basic
            civilian Model 1911. This National Match pistol first appeared in
            1933. These pistols differed from the standard grade because they
            incorporated a match barrel, checked trigger, checked arched
            grip, walnut stocks and the innards were hand honed. Also
            included on later versions were a ramp front sight and an
            adjustable rear sight. These models were marked "NATIONAL
            MATCH COLT Automatic Calibre .45" on the left side of the
            slide. During World War II, the National Match Model was
            discontinued, but resumed in 1957. This newer version was
            referred to as the "Gold Cup National Match."

            The MKIV Series 70 Government Model Colt pistols were
            manufactured from 1970 to 1983 and have "70G" as a prefix in
            the serial numbers on the models made from 1970 to 1976. The
            models made from 1976 to 1980 have "G70" suffixes. Models
            made from 1979-1981 have "B70" suffixes and models made
            form 1981 to 1983 have "70B" prefixes. The Series 70 had in
            addition to the Government model a Series 70 Combat
            Commander, Series 70 Lightweight Commander, and Series 70
            Combat Government. The Series 70 featured an accurizor barrel
            bushing for improved accuracy.

            In 1983, Colt presented the MKIV Series 80 pistol. It was a
            single action with 5" barrel. It was offered with checkered walnut
            grips and rubber combat style grips. This model had a firing pin
            safety incorporated.