Kongsberg Colt
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| 11.25 m/m AUT. PISTOL M/1914, Kongsberg Colt. | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Pistol |
| Place of origin |  Norway |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Norwegian Armed Forces, Third Reich Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Number built | Approx 33.000 |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | 11.43x23mm ACP (.45 ACP) |
| Action | Recoil-operated, closed bolt |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 ft/s (244 m/s) |
| Feed system | 7 rounds (standard-capacity magazine), +1 in chamber |
The Kongsberg Colt is a name used for Colt M1911 pistols produced under license by the Norwegian factory Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk.
Contents |
[edit] History
Norway adopted the 7.5 mm Nagant revolver in 1883 (named M1893) and this was the standard Norwegian military sidearm until it was replaced by the 11.43x23mm ACP (.45 ACP) 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's were bought from Colt USA. 400 pistols were shipped to Norway for the Norwegian Navy in 1915, 300 more pistols were shipped in 1917 for the Norwegian Army. Price was US$18.50 per 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 were ordered, but 5 were 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 were made (approx 20,000 pieces were made before 1940).
During the German occupation of Norway (1940-1945), manufacture of the pistol, given the designation Pistole 657(n)[1] , was continued under German control. The Waffenamt acceptance mark (WaA84) was added in 1945 and only those 920 pistols produced that year were ever Waffenamt-marked. Its not likely that any of these Waffenamt-marked pistols ever saw any action during WW2 as the first one, serial# 29615, was delivered March 29, 1945 and the last one, serial# 30534, was delivered in May of 1945 just before liberation of Norway. Approximately 8200 pistols were made during German occupation. All of them were delivered to AOK Norwegen (Army) except the 700 that were delivered to Maza Norwegen (Navy).
The number of pistols produced and their quality varied greatly from month to month. This was because the workers at Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk, most against the German occupation, rarely worked at full capacity. This was done as a silent protest against the Germans. Often the pistols and other weapons produced were of poor quality, this also due to the protest.
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 in 1947 and approx 33.000 pistols were made in total.
[edit] Fakes
Some fakes have appeared. 1945 models produced after the end of WW2 have been marked with fake Waffenamt marks. They are easily discovered, as serial numbers are 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 fakes and have 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 forces. These have usually no serial markings 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 are the first 95 marked with 1912.
[edit] See also
[edit] Literature
- Kongsberg-Colten by Karl Egil Hanevik, 2003 1st edition, 400 pages, illustrated, Norwegian, ISBN 82-993143-2-1
[edit] External links
- Kongsberg Coltens venner Friends of Kongsberg Colten (Norwegian)
