COLT ~ NATIONAL MATCH ~ .38 SPECIAL ~ MID-RANGE WAD CUTTERS ONLY

Interesting piece, this 1911 National Match is chambered for .38 Special. They were developed for Target Competition, and, with the 1911 short stroke must be used with wad cutters only. Ordinary .38 Special cartridges with protruding bullets, are too long and will fail to feed. This one looks like new on the left side. The right side has several patches of shallow corrosion. The standing breech face shows no firing residue, and the magazine has a very light drag line on the follower. This pistol hasn't been fired much. The letter states a ship date of April 1961, so the date of manufacture is likely sometime in 1960.