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Curio & Relic/Black Powder Curio & Relics and Black Powder Firearms, Old School shooting fun! |
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#1
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1911A1 with an interesting history UPDATE Pistol returned to Bealke family! Post #25
This pistol was issued to Colonel Bealke in WWII. Then sold to General Colarusso in 1993. My Father who was also a Air Force Officer knew General Colarusso. He bought this pistol and a M1 carbine from him in 1997 for $550...
I have the letter from General Colarusso documenting that sale also. I just don't have a scan of it in my files. I'll make no comment about what was done to the pistol, and let it speak for itself. The "ivory" grips are not on it, as the resin near the grip screws has deteriorated and no longer correctly holds the grips in place. Just a interesting bit of history, and window into how these firearms were customized in the past.
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Poke'm with a stick! Last edited by SVT-40; 04-11-2019 at 3:22 PM.. |
#6
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S/N way too high to be WWII...(of US origin)
I see the letter states that the S/N was altered to the guys service number...
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Last edited by rivraton; 08-15-2017 at 9:02 PM.. |
#12
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I'm not a 1911 collector but if any slides were manufactured in Belgium I'm sure I would have heard of it. And that re-serialization sounds suspicious. It even looks like the original markings were polished off.
I think it should have said something like "Fabrique Nationale D'Armes". The only mention of John Colarusso being a general officer (other than this thread) is an auction for a NM Garand attributed to "Lieutenant General John Colarusso". John R Colarusso's 2011 obituary makes no mention of his military service. There's also a business "Suz Collectibles" operating at the address given for John R Colarusso. Maybe the carbine was manufactured at FN too (see Ruth's set). Better check! Last edited by Michael K; 08-17-2017 at 1:32 AM.. Reason: call it anything |
#13
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Tag
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#14
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I found a reference to the Colonel's fighter group plus he has an article posted on the group.
http://www.cgv.com/412/index.htm Checking some serial number information the number one means he enlisted and the 3 is from the location of his enlistment. So if he enlisted from Maryland, Pennsylvania or Virginia then that is his number on the pistol as it states in the letter. Seems to be the real deal but scrubbed clean for reasons that we will never know. irh Last edited by ironhorse1; 08-18-2017 at 10:02 AM.. |
#15
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It would not be the first pistol that was pimped out like that in a theater of operations. I recently refurbished a 1911 for a customer whose father or uncle had it "done up" in Korea during his visit there. Cheep cheesy pearl like grips with some amateurish emblem and nickel plated right over the original parkerizing. It was peeling like a 62 Cadillac bumper from the east coast.
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#16
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I like it!
A lot of pistols coming home from Vietnam was "done up" - There was several plating shops in Saigon that was the go to shop for chrome plating - Too bad this is not a VN piece or I'd be trying to peel it out of your hands Jim - Cheers! |
#17
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This must have been one of Mahrholdt's last jobs before they went out of business. I think they would have done a neater job stamping the numbers and not used pyroxylin-like material for the grips which shrinks. I can't understand why they couldn't hire a US gunsmith to do this.
I feel the same way as when somebody at the Cow Palace showed me a uniform with Charlemagne cuffbands. No disrespect to the colonel but I am unable to believe his story although he probably did actually own the gun, and "General" Colarusso might actually have been a general. |
#19
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This pistol always gets interesting comments. LOL. Some of them are pretty entertaining.
It is simply a US service pistol which has been refinished and re-numbered. Why the slide was marked "Browning Armes Belgium" I have no idea.... Based on the proof marking near the trigger guard, I'm surprised no one has determined who the original US contractor was who made this pistol...
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Poke'm with a stick! |
#20
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I did some looking on the web, Remington Rand. still a shame it's got hardly any of it's original character remaining Last edited by seabee1; 08-31-2017 at 6:23 PM.. |
#21
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As to "Character"... Well it's been changed. Remember back 60 plus years ago these pistols were very common and not real collectable. In addition many surplus firearms were "customized" by their owners. Those were the days of "bubba" and almost everyone was into "sporterizing" and customizing.
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Poke'm with a stick! |
#22
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...and how!
Red Flags: - suspicious serial number - holster wear seems "un natural" - why would a retired officer (with an O pension) sell his side arm - one that he carried for 36 years! and let me add, the "letter of authenticity" isn't written according to military correspondence style. The General would be very familiar with the format. |
#23
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FN was contracted by the U.S. Army to overhaul a very large quantity of small arms held by the services in western Europe at the end of WW2. It put FN back into business. Perhaps the slide dates from that program?
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#25
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interesting update on this pistol. A few weeks ago I was contacted by Karl Bealke the son of the original owner Col Fred Bealke.
Karl had been doing some internet research on his Father and came across this thread. Here is one of his emails about his father. " Karl Beale Tue, Apr 9, 5:35 PM (2 days ago) to me Jim, I’m so grateful. I’m planning a trip to my dad’s Camp Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, GA tomorrow to meet with the curator. I have several of my dad’s things I’m going to donate. Dad was in the original 506th Paratroop Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Easy Company, 101st Airborne Band of Brothers. The museum is excited to get some of his stuff specific to his time in the 506th (post cards, mess hall menu, field manuals, newspaper clippings, etc.). The museum was only started in 2005 but thanks to the popularity of the TV series it’s really something. Obviously I’m keeping all of my dad’s photos, medals and the like but I think it’s great to perpetuate their memory and help educate future generations about our dad’s’ generation and their commitment to our country. I’ll keep you posted." I'm very happy that this bit of Bealke family history will be returning to it's proper place. Thanks also to EBR works who shipped the pistol to Georgia and helped save the Bealke family some money for shipping. Also to Cherokee Gun & Pawn in Canton GA. who, after hearing this story will do the transfer free of charge.
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Poke'm with a stick! Last edited by SVT-40; 04-11-2019 at 3:23 PM.. |
#27
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Good story and great to know it has been returned to the family!
So he was a corporal in WWII when he dropped into Normandy with the 101st and retired a colonel after 36 years of service. I'm not at all surprised to see that it has been "pimped" to the tastes and fashion of the past.
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Vae Victis |
#29
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I commend you for getting this pistol back to the family! Well done sir!
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"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." "What we get away with isn't usually the same as what's good for us" "An extended slide stop is the second most useless part you can put on a 1911" "While Ruger DA revolvers may be built like a tank, they have the aesthetics of one also, although I suppose there are a few tanks which I owe an apology to for that remark" |
#30
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...Interesting story, but I’m completely confused as to why the corporal (presuming that’s his hand-tinted picture) has a Lieutenant Colonel’s silver oak leaf on his brain bucket.. that’s a LOT of battlefield commissions...
Regardless, good on you for re-uniting the weapon with the family.
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"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” "Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently-talented fool." "The things that come to those who wait may well be the things left by those who got there first." |
#31
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I don’t know about the slide but the frame is not Colt.
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NRA LIFE (1974) Psalm 46:10 I had a commission/USNR from 71-77 but never consider myself a Vet MyDad+4uncles/USMC/WW2/Korea/Vietnam. My Grandfather US Army WW1. No heroes,just regular folks--they were Veterans. “Do not be deceived.God is not mocked. You will reap what you sow.” Last edited by GM4spd; 04-12-2019 at 5:21 AM.. |
#33
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The pistol shipped to his son's dealer yesterday. Happy to be a part of reuniting his son with a special piece of family history!
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#34
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I don't sell much of any thing I collect... But this was a whole different situation. I can't imagine not helping someone in this situation. I'm just happy that the Bealke family has their family heirloom back!!
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Poke'm with a stick! |
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