At Black Army Research, we are dedicated to uncovering vital historical data regarding Connecticut veterans and their associated firearms. Our work particularly focuses on military personnel who served with distinction in World Wars One and Two, including the pioneering legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Our specialized archive features comprehensive technical profiles—spanning early Colt 1902 Military Model developments to individual sidearm histories like those of Major Lemuel R. Custis and Major Stephen Terhune Smith Jr.. Additionally, we maintain and preserve an expansive database of Ithaca 1911 serial numbers to ensure wartime shipping configurations remain completely accessible to families and collectors alike.
Our archive features deep provenance tracking for early military sidearms, highlighted by a remarkably preserved, named group centering on M1911 Serial #570. While the firearm itself is documented within the very first U.S. Navy contract delivery block from March 1912, encompassing serial numbers 501 through 1000, its personal history is unlocked by its accompanying gear. The earliest known owner, a Lieutenant Commander who served from 1916 to 1945, hand-wrote his name and this exact pistol serial number directly into an early first-pattern M1912 leather holster. This exceptional group is rounded out by a rare, early c. 1910 cartridge web belt. The rig was later passed down to a second Lieutenant Commander who served from 1932 to 1961, and had been enlisted by the elder.
The foundation of this study rests on the initial deployment of the automatic pistol by the naval service. U.S. Navy contract records show that the first shipment went out in March 1912 and contained serial numbers 501 through 1000. Discovering and documenting M1911 serial number 570 provides a critical reference point for researchers studying the exact configurations, markings, and factory characteristics of these earliest naval sidearms.
While official factory ledgers stop at the delivery point, the personal history of this specific weapon survived through its physical field gear. The original owner hand-wrote his name and the pistol serial number directly into the leather of an early pattern 1912 holster. This inscribed holster is accompanied by a rare, early c. 1911 pattern web belt, creating an intact, named military rig that serves as a tangible link to early twentieth-century naval operations.
Archival research reveals a connection of ownership spanning two generations of naval officers and multiple global conflicts. The original officer served as a Lieutenant Commander, beginning his service in 1916 and continuing through 1945. He eventually passed the sidearm and rig to a second Lieutenant Commander who he had originally enlisted into the service, and whose career lasted from 1932 to 1961.
Your support sustains our mission to assist Connecticut veterans, conduct firearms research, and honor the legacy of military veterans, including the courageous Tuskegee Airmen.
We maintain a specialized archive compiled from certified shipping ledgers, public registries, and national databases to ensure transparency.