I received this very interesting detailed reply from the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum concerning this pistol: 1. Shipment to Remington-UMC (October 1914) Your pistol (C9591) being 1 of 20 shipped to Remington-UMC on Oct 5, 1914 is the key starting point. That is not a normal commercial or military delivery pattern. Small lots like “20 pistols” sent to an ammunition manufacturer strongly suggest: Most likely purpose: Ammunition development / function testing Establishing reliable .45 ACP loads for wartime production Possibly endurance and pressure testing This fits the context: WWI had just begun (August 1914) Britain and its allies were scrambling to source arms and ammunition in North America UMC (soon part of Remington) was gearing up for large-scale contracts So yes—Colt absolutely did send pistols to ammunition makers. That was standard practice when scaling up production of a cartridge.   2. How did it get into Canadian service? This is the tricky part—and where speculation needs to be disciplined. Known historical anchor: Canada purchased ~5,000 Colt Government Models in late 1914 for the Canadian Expeditionary Force These were shipped directly from Colt—not via intermediaries like Remington Your pistol’s path (most plausible reconstruction): Scenario A (most likely) Colt ships pistol to Remington-UMC for testing After testing, pistol becomes surplus / retained inventory It is later: Sold commercially or Transferred as part of broader wartime supply dealings It enters Canadian service through: Direct purchase Officer private purchase Or informal acquisition early in the war Early-war procurement (late 1914–early 1915) was messy. Canada and Britain were buying anything available. Scenario B (possible, but less provable) Remington-UMC acted as a procurement intermediary The pistol was bundled into shipments tied to: ammunition contracts or British purchasing missions in the U.S. There is precedent: Remington Arms supplied rifles and handled foreign contracts They also arranged handgun supply (e.g., S&W .455s for Britain) But: there is no direct evidence that these 20 Colts were officially forwarded to Canada as a batch.   Scenario C (least likely but often suggested) “Smuggled” or informally diverted into Canada  This is usually overstated. While early war procurement was chaotic, outright smuggling is not needed to explain this pistol’s path. 3. Canadian marking (C Broad Arrow) The Canadian “C broad arrow” on the magazine is important: Likely applied to replacement or spare magazines (1915 onward) Matches your note that early pistols shipped with unmarked mags This suggests: The pistol was in Canadian service long enough to receive replacement equipment The magazine is not necessarily original to the pistol 4. British proof marks (Birmingham) The Birmingham Proof House marks tell a very clear story: BNP (Birmingham Nitro Proof) = civilian/commercial proof Required when: A firearm enters civilian market in the UK Or is exported commercially Your dating (1958) is very plausible: Post-WWII surplus disposal British/Commonwealth pistols sold off commercially Proofed before sale/export  This means: This means The pistol remained in British/Commonwealth control through WWII Then entered civilian circulation in the late 1950s 5. WWII barrel on a WWI pistol Completely normal. Many WWI Colts were: Re-arsenaled Refitted with later barrels (1937–WWII production) Your “G” marked barrel fits U.S. government contract replacement barrels (pre-1943)  This strongly supports: Continued service life into WWII Likely refurbishment in a British or Canadian system 6. Putting it all together (clean timeline) Most defensible reconstruction: 1914 – Manufactured by Colt Oct 5, 1914 – Shipped to Remington-UMC for ammo testing 1914–1915 – Leaves Remington inventory (sale/transfer) WWI – Enters Canadian service (CEF), magazine later replaced Interwar / WWII – Remains in Commonwealth service, refurbished (new barrel) Post-1945 – Declared surplus ~1958 – Proofed at Birmingham for civilian sale/export Later – Returns to North America Bottom line answers to your core questions Did Colt send pistols to ammo makers for testing? Yes—very likely in this case. That’s the most solid conclusion. Did Remington-UMC forward it to Canada? Possible, but unproven. More likely: it left Remington as surplus and was later acquired through wartime purchasing channels. Is the Canadian/British service story believable? Yes—strongly supported by: Canadian-marked magazine British proof marks WWII replacement barrel Final assessment Your pistol is a legitimate multi-service gun with a complex but believable chain: Non-standard origin (test gun) Early wartime acquisition Canadian service Extended Commonwealth use Postwar British disposal Quote

Yes, 1925 is correct.

Austria was annexed in 1938 into the German Reich   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss   The Austrian army was incorporated into the Wehrmacht at that time…so 3rd Reich awards/medals were awarded to service members and they were allowed to maintain the “Austrian tri-fold” ribbon design.   I apologize for answering…for Sarge

Sarge, why would these  German Hindenburg Cross' have their ribbons in the Austro-Hungarian manner? 

Seeing 1925, is that correct?

Found a number of Dutch Hair Force  Soldiers from the period the BW had the hair, so rather then start a new topic in the Holland sub forum, will add them here as they kinda go hand in hand with their German Counterparts of the period.   A different photo of the one posted in Post #93.  

The German award is the same ribbon you show.  The crossed swords indicate combat service and lack of them indicate a non-combatant.   They are both tied the same for Germans.  That is to say straight up and down tie.     

Type 26 is probably a very good bet.  From what I can find the Type 26 started to be produced 1893-1894 and discontinued in 1935.  So it would make make sense that The Manchukuo army was most likely not issued front line weapons.

RZM 41 skulls are old fakes.

I have a chance to acquire this item. Looks legit but I am not a expert. Any comments or advice would be appreciated.

Dear members of the World Militaria Forum, My name is Olof Janson, and I have the honor of serving as President of the Gothia Arms Historical Society. Our society is dedicated to the study and documentation of Swedish arms of all types and periods. If you have any questions regarding Swedish weapons—military or civilian—you are most welcome to contact me directly. I will be happy to assist or discuss. We maintain two websites, one in English and one in Swedish, each adapted to the specific content and material presented. You can visit our English site here: https://gotavapen.se/index_english.htm Please note that this is a long-standing resource, originally developed in the early days of the internet, so I kindly ask for your understanding regarding its somewhat classic 1990s design. You are warmly invited to explore our work, and if you wish to get in touch, please contact us at: webmaster@gotavapen.se I look forward to engaging with you and exchanging knowledge within this community. Kind regards, Olof Janson President Gothia Arms Historical Society  

Maybe a type 26 ?