1911A1 with an interesting history UPDATE Pistol returned to Bealke family! Post #25

[SVT-40]

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.

[capt14k]

Why is it marked Browning Armes Belgium? I don't know a whole lot about 1911A1 Pistols.

Very Cool piece of history.

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[jon94520]

Very neat... why in the world would he sell it?

[Enfield47]

What a cool pistol with an interesting history. Do you know if they replace the slide with one made in Belgium when it was refinished?

[Duck Killer]

No US Property stamp?

[rivraton]

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...

[Enfield47]

S/N way too high to be WWII...(of US origin)

That's his enlisted serial number according to the letter.

[Duck Killer]

I don't understand how this could of been his service pistol for 36 years. Even being refinished it is missing all the government markings and they removed and changed the s/n? Something isn't right.

[kendog4570]

Something about it doesn't pass the smell test.

[musketjon]

I've got some beach front property for sale in Arizona if you're interested in it. It was used for amphibious landing practice in 1944.
Jon

[LowThudd]

tag

[Michael K]

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!

[freonr22]

Tag

[ironhorse1]

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

[kendog4570]

....

Seems to be the real deal but scrubbed clean for reasons that we will never know.

irh

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.