Colt Model 1905

NOTE: this is an example of a previous customer restoration, and therefore the firearm is not for sale. Please browse the showroom for our current selection of restored, pre-owned and refinished firearms that are for sale, as well as other collections. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to be among the first to learn about new additions to our website.

The Colt Model 1905 holds a special place in firearms history as John Moses Browning’s first semi-automatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP—a cartridge he developed in direct response to the U.S. military’s dissatisfaction with the stopping power of .38-caliber service revolvers. The issue became evident during the Philippine-American War, where Moro warriors withstood multiple hits from .38 Long Colt rounds. This led the U.S. Army to seek a more powerful sidearm, culminating in the Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904, which concluded that a .45-caliber bullet was ideal for combat effectiveness.

Introduced in 1905, the pistol was a direct evolution of Browning’s earlier Colt Model 1900 and Model 1902 designs, but it set the stage for one of the most legendary handguns of all time: the Colt M1911. A total of 6,210 Model 1905 pistols were produced between 1905 and 1917—though none were made from 1913 to 1916, and only three were assembled in 1917. This makes the Model 1905 one of the scarcest “pre-1911” Colt pistols. It retained many features of its predecessors but introduced the .45 ACP cartridge and utilized a short-recoil, locked-breech action, which would later be refined in the M1911.

Despite its short lifespan, the Model 1905’s influence is undeniable. It proved the viability of the .45 ACP before its refinement into the M1911, which incorporated a grip safety, improved ergonomics, and a stronger locking system—features that would define one of the most enduring pistols in history.

This example, serial number 194, shipped as part of a 2-gun delivery in March 1906. It bears type-2 (of 4) slide markings, as used in early 1906 thru 1909, on approximately 3,900 pistols. Its case hardened hammer is of the round or “stub” variety used from 1905 thru late 1908, on approximately 3,600 pistols.

History Restored

• Fabricate and fit new takedown plug and retaining pin
• Polish frame, slide and all parts to period-correct high polish finish
• Restore original markings
• Charcoal blue frame, slide and parts
• Color case harden hammer
• Nitre blue trigger, magazine catch, rear sight, pins, barrel link, screws and takedown plug
• Refinish perimeter of grips and diamonds, re-cut checkering to point