SOLD - Rare General Officers Rock Island Colt With Provenance

6/12/18 - This is one of the most complete sets of an M15 General Officer pistol that you could find anywhere - a Rock Island Arsenal made gun, SN 250, issued to Major General Fletcher G. Booker. The gun is complete with the holster, belt and double mag pouch rig, a cleaning rod, three original magazines, all the original paperwork and even the original shipping box with the post office address label.  The gun is in beautiful original condition retaining nearly all of its blue with just a small rub mark on the left side of the slide and another on top the slide - most likely from being holstered or shifting in the box.  The M15 RIA pistol was developed in the 70s as a replacement for the Colt M1903 and M1908 General Officer guns. It was made from the existing stock of M1911 Colts and was modified with a shorter slide, high quality internals and a beautiful high polish finish and chromed small parts. A metal plate was inletted in to the left grip which could then be engraved with the General’s name if desired.  The other grip had the Rock Island cross cannon cartouche inletted in the wood.  Slide legend and the serial number on the right side were gold filled for a very nice contrasting look.  Only 1004 of these were made, before being superceded by the Beretta M9 pistol, making them the rarest General Officer pistols.  Most were returned back to the arsenal and very few were retained by the general officers at retirement and then kept in the family. To find one this complete is near impossible.  General Booker was a veteran of WWII and of the Korean War.  Upon promotion to Brigadier General, and then to Major General, he commanded the famous Keystone division that saw combat in WWI, WWII and Korean War. He purchased his M15 pistol from the Army upon retirement.   This is a very rare chance to own a Historic military sidearm with all the documentation, accessories, and great provenance.