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Military Issue Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP Pistol - US Property Marked, Foreign Presentations


Photos courtesy of Iqbal Wilis

Colt Model M .32 ACP serial number 567998 Presented in 1971 by General W.C. Westmoreland, Chief of Staff, United States Army to General Umar Wirahadikusumah, Chief of Staff, Army of the Republic of Indonesia - A very unique late military Model M .32 ACP pistol, serial number 567998, with U.S. PROPERTY mark on right side of frame. Pistol is recorded in the RIA records has having been a "foreign presentation."  Sides of the slide and the thumb safety are finished bright, the high sides of the frame are blued, the trigger guard, front and rear grip straps, top and lower front of slide are parkerized. Thumb safety, trigger and magazine release are nickel plated.

Silver inscribed plate in right grip reads:

General Umar Wirahadikusumah
Chief of Staff
Army of the Republic of Indonesia

Silver inscribed plate in right grip reads:

Presented by
General W.C. Westmoreland
Chief of Staff 
United State Army
1971

While it is known that a few of these guns are listed in RIA records as having been presented to foreign dignitaries, this is the first encountered example.


General William C. Westmoreland

Courtesy Nationaal Miltair Museum
Verlengde Paltzerweg 1 3768 MX Soest, Netherlands

Military Presentation Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP US Property marked serial number 567162 - Colt .32 presented by General William Westmoreland to the Dutch Chief of Staff in 1971. Pistol is a parkerized variation that's had the sides polished and blued.  The trigger, thumb safety and magazine release are nickel plated and the checkered walnut stocks that lack Colt medallions have been inlet with two plaques which bear the following presentation inscriptions:

Left stock plate: LIEUTENANT GENERAL WILLEM VAN RIJN / CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF / ROYAL NETHERLANDS ARMY

Right stock plate: PRESENTED BY / GENERAL W.C. WESTMORELAND / CHIEF OF STAFF / UNITED STATES ARMY / 1971

The lid of the case is marked: LIEUTENANT GENERAL WILLEM VAN RIJN / Chief of the General Staff and Commander in Chief / Royal Netherlands Army. The case is made of wood, with a brown leather top.

Willem van Rijn (29 December 1915 - October 20, 1997) was a Dutch military general. From 1972 until his departure in 1973, he served as the chairman of the United Nations Chiefs Committee, the highest military adviser to the minister. (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_van_Rijn)

Military Presentation Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless .32 ACP US Property marked serial number 567162 - Colt .32 presented by General William Westmoreland to the Dutch Chief of Staff in 1971 showing the open case in its entirety.

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