Brastil M1911
In 1932, Colt ordered a small batch of modified M1911 pistols from Doehler Die Casting Co. of Toledo, Ohio– the largest producer of die-cast metal in the world. The thing about Doehler is that they were known at the time for a high tensile strength corrosion resistant bronze alloy called “Brastil.”
From the American Society for Metals’ “Woldman’s Engineering Alloys,” circa 1936.
As such, the experimental guns used standard M1911 internals, wooden grip panels, and a receiver and slide made of die-cast Brastil rather than forged steel.
They certainly were distinctive, almost fit for Christopher Lee.
In the end, only two Brastil M1911s were made and this one, SN#2, has been in the collection of the Springfield Armory since 16 August 1932.