Kongsberg Colt
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The Kongsberg Colt is a make of pistol.
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[edit] History
Norway adopted the 7.5mm Nagant revolver in 1883 (named M1893) and this was the standard Norwegian military sidearm until it was replaced by the .45ACP caliber semi-automatic Colt M1911 pistol in 1914. In 1915 Fabrique Nationale in Belgium signed a contract allowing Norway to manufacture the M1911. The pistol would be produced at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk in Norway.
[edit] Production
As production start was slow, some M1911 was bought from Colt USA. 400 pistols was shipped to Norway for the Norwegian Navy in 1915, 300 more pistols was shipped in 1917 for the Norwegian Army. Price was US$18.50 pr piece.
The production at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk in Norway started in 1916 and 95 pistols was finished in 1917 and wrongly stamped "COLT AUT. PISTOL M/1912" These pistols were identical to the Colt M1911 except for a minor detail on the hammer checkering. 100 pistols was ordered but 5 where destroyed during production. The serial range was from 1 to 95. Number 1 is in Bady's book " Gouvernment Models" and number 2 was stolen from the The Norwegian Armed Forces Museum in 1978.
Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk was ready to start mass production in 1919 and some new changes was made. The slide-stop was extended down and back to make it easier to operate. This change required a cut-out in the left stock. The new version had the left side of the slide stamped "11.25 m/m AUT. PISTOL M/1914." that was correct as the approbation of the gun was in 1914. Production went on but from 1929 to 1939 the production was very low, only 871 was made (approx 20.000 pieces was made before 1940).
During the German occupation of Norway (1940-1945), manufacture of the pistol was continued under German control. The Waffenamt acceptance mark (WaA84) was added in 1945 and only those 920 pistols produced that year was ever Waffenamt-marked. It's not likely that any of these Waffenamt-marked pistols ever saw any action during WW2 as the first one with serial# 29615 was delivered march 29 1945 and the last one with serial# 30534 was delivered in may 1945 just before liberation of Norway. Approx 8200 pistols was made during German occupation. All of them was delivered to AOK Norwegen (Army) except 700 that was delivered to Maza Norwegen (Navy).
Occupation production:
- 1940 = approx 50 pistols
- 1941 = approx 4099 pistols
- 1942 = 3154 pistols
- 1945 = 920 pistols
There was no pistol delivered in 1943 & 1944
Production ended for good in 1947 and approx 33.000 pistols were made totally.
[edit] Fakes
Some fakes has appeared, some 1945 produced AFTER the end of WW2 has been marked with fake Waffenamt marks. It's easily discovered as serial number is higher than the last pistol made for the Germans (serial# 30534). Any pistol with year 1940/41/42 with WaA84 or any other Waffenamt markings are faked and has been marked post-WW2.
[edit] Rare
Some of the most rare are the "Matpakke-Colt" (lunch box Colt) that were made out of parts smuggled out during WW2 by workers and used by resistance force. These have usually no serialmarkings or acceptance marks and the finish is usually not completed. The Waffenamt marked pistols are also very popular, 920 were made in 1945. The most rare is the first 95 marked with 1912.
[edit] Literature
Kongsberg-Colten by Karl Egil Hanevik, 2003 1'ed, 400 pages, illustrated, Norwegian, ISBN 82-993143-2-1
[edit] External links
- Kongsberg Coltens venner Friends of Kongsberg Colten (Norwegian)
