The Surprisingly Modern Colt 1903

Lot 1453: Excellent Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Original Box and Papers
(Lot 1468 is another pristine example of a 1908 in its original box)

At the 2015 Shot Show in Las Vegas there was the usual hullabaloo around a lot of new guns and gadgets, and rightly so.  For those unfamiliar, Shot Show is basically the Detroit Auto Show of the gun world. It's on par with the biggest industry shows in the country: E3, CES, Comic-Con, NRA Convention, etc. Annually, new stuff gets unveiled before throngs of both the passionate and the curious. However, one little pistol stuck out at Shot2015 that was not the usual piece of innovative technology.  In fact, its roots go back over 100 years.  Needless to say, the presence of a Colt Model 1903 "General Officer's Pistol" surprised more than a few people.

Also known as the 1903 Pocket Hammerless, even though they possess a shrouded hammer, these classy little pistols are perhaps more at home in today's world of concealed carry options than most folks recognize. Here's how it compares side-by-side with the Glock 43, arguably one of the most anticipated handguns in recent memory.

The larger of the Colt measurements pertain solely to the first variation of the Colt 1903, which
accounted for the first 71,999 produced.

Glocks are frequently heralded for their utilitarian nature, but at over one century old, the Colt still holds its own. In addition to the comparable dimensions, the 1903 has something else going for it that newer pistols simply cannot match: history.

Original Models

Designed by John Moses Browning and initially called Model M by Colt, these "hammerless" pistols were made for over four decades (1903 - 1945) with approximately 572,215 entering civilian production and 200,000 more for the military. They were immediately popular with the public, and approximately 10,000 were sold in the first year. Even though production stopped in 1945, so many parts had been produced that they continued to be assembled until 1953, and were issued to general officers in the Army and Air Force as late as the 1970s. These totals include all five variations of the 1903. The Model 1908 was a nearly identical pistol in .380 ACP that differed only in chamber/bore size and magazine capacity.  The larger round of the Model 1908 meant that only 7 rounds could fit in the magazine, but the new cartridge, developed by John Browning for the Colt 1908, could not compete with the popularity of the .32 ACP that had been in production since 1899. Only 138,000 Model 1908 pistols were sold retail and an unknown amount were made for military contracts.

The smooth lines and relative small size, compared to other early semi-autos, made the Model 1903 a hit with good guys and bad guys alike. Besides being issued to general officers in the military the pistol also saw service with the Shanghai Municipal Police (M1908) in the 1920s and 1930s, including by noted knife fighter, secret agent, commando, and all-around dangerous guy, William Fairbairn. Pistols used in Shanghai are clearly marked as such and are likely to have seen heavy use given the infestation of crime the city during the early 20th century. Perhaps it was Fairbairn's positive experience with the Model 1908 that led to its use by both the OSS, a precursor of the CIA, and the British SOE, both organizations that greatly valued Fairbairn's covert contributions. George Patton was also known to own a 1908 Pocket Hammerless.

Lot 1476: Scarce Documented Shanghai Municipal Police Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Factory Letter

However, the same advantages that made it so desirable to many police departments, including the NYPD, also made it popular among criminals of the day. Bonnie Parker of "Bonnie & Clyde" infamy had two with her the day they were gunned down in their V8-powered Ford. John Dillinger, despite his affinity for .45 caliber weapons, and a well-known quote of, "Never trust a woman, a district attorney, or an automatic pistol," was photographed wearing a Model 1908 and was killed with one on his person.

New Models

At Shot Show 2015, Colt had a Model 1903 at their booth.  There was no grand reveal, no unveiling, hype, or fanfare.  Just a pistol displayed under glass and one being shown by one of the creators in the massive Colt booth. The full story is that Colt contracted U.S. Armament Corp to make a licensed copy of the 1903 pocket hammerless general officer's pistol.  This U.S. Armament Corp is the same organization that made exact replicas of the Colt Model 1877 "Bulldog" Gatling gun several years back.  Not only are the Gatling guns gorgeous with their highly polished brass and walnut, the reproductions are said to be so exact that parts of the originals and the reproductions are said to be interchangeable. That's the kind of precision and attention to authenticity U.S. Armament brings to the table when reproducing the Colt Model 1903 pistols.  (Note: According to USAC, the parts of the new pistols may or may not fit the original Colt pistols because many of the original Colt pistols were hand fitted, as are the parts for the reproductions. Sometimes, even original parts don't properly fit on original guns.)

That said, the guns are reproduced with most of their imperfections.  The grip safety that some users found difficult to activate appears in its original form. The right-handed, manual safety that offers no tactile or audible feedback, yet is easy enough to use, is still a simple checkered lever with a smooth pivot. The small sights, curiously prevalent among guns of that period, have not been enlarged. No push button magazine release has been added, so the original heel release must be used. Also since the Model 1903 pre-dates the 1911, the slide does not lock open on the final shot, nor is there accompanying slide release for such a feature. Those wishing to carry this gun as an alternative to modern concealed carry options will be pleased at the authenticity, but may also wish to consider the lack of many common and desirable features.

Image from www.usarmamentcorp.com

The only true downside to the reproduction of these once popular little pistols will be the limited run. initial reports after Shot Show 2015 were that 2,500 of these pistols were going to be produced, 500 of which would be GO-issued pistols. A quick call to USAC reveals that those numbers have been updated. Now, a total run of 3,500 pistols will be produced. 2,500 will be parkerized general officer's pistols, and 500 of those will be "presentation" models with serial number duplicates to those issued to specific U.S. Generals, deluxe presentation cases, and information on that specific general. It is likely that those serial numbers issued to the most famous generals (Patton, Eisenhower, Bradley, etc) will likely be donated or presented. The remaining 1,000 pistols are going to be shipped in the white to Colt's Custom Shop where they will undoubtedly get any number of special grips, finishes, engravings, and inlays. Also disclosed at Shot Show was the base price of $1,395. In comparison, original models of the 1903 and 1908 in our December auction have low estimates ranging from $800 - $6,500.  Those guns will be shipped with one mag in the military style kraft boxes, with wax pencil serial numbers on the box to boot. Model 1908 pistols will come later (likely 12 - 18 months out) with a limited production run of approximately 5,000. Before you can ask: no, Colt Pythons reproductions are not planned at this time despite the immense number of requests for the wheelgun.

New Info on the New Model

What has not yet been discussed or divulged is the possibility of USAC producing a special "OSS Presentation" version of the pistol. This gun would likely receive its own presentation case and some OSS related goodies, but would also be able to accept a suppressor! USAC says that the suppressor (as of this writing) would likely be outsourced, but the pistol itself would involve a longer, threaded barrel produced in-house. As if a popular old gun receiving its due renaissance isn't cool enough, USAC will potentially take it one step further by giving a very visible modern nod to the pistol's clandestine past. That is one idea that this writer personally hopes makes it all the way into final production, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Timeline for such a piece would be roughly 12 - 18 months.

Photo taken from the USAC Facebook page, and not, unfortunately, from my desk.

Speaking of timelines, I spoke with Jake Nyman, Vice President of USAC, with a few clarifying questions regarding these reproductions. Of course, one of the questions I asked was if the timeframe for the 1903 was still correct. He gave details of the production that are perhaps not what people anticipate.  His answer was that a run of 3,500 guns is still anticipated (though an extension of the license with Colt may be sought for the aforementioned "OSS version"). However, the way he answered it communicated that these guns are not being "released" en masse like the latest iPhone. There is no set "release date." These guns are being carefully hand-fitted and will take time to produce.  With some very recent hiring at USAC to build these guns more quickly, rate of manufacture should ramp up to about 100-120 guns per month, meaning about two more years of production. For those wondering, yes, that means these reproductions are already being sold.

Image on unpacked Model 1903, also from USAC Facebook page.

On a side note, the original Model 1903 pistols are said to lack a mechanical firing pin safety and can discharge if dropped hard enough on its muzzle or rear of the slide. The inertia of such an drop has been known to whip the firing pin forward and touch off a chambered round.  This is also the alleged reason for Fairbairn not permitting the Shangai Police to carry with a round in the chamber. Since USAC is known for their dedication to authenticity and accuracy in these reproductions, I asked Mr. Nyman about this design flaw and whether improvements had been made or they stayed 100% true to the old design.

Jake gave an answer that showed a little of each was taking place. A firing pin safety had not been added to the pistol design in order to maintain authenticity, but he did assure me that the sear and hammer pockets were deepened to prevent the accidental discharges. He said, "We and Colt have put this pistol through every drop test you can imagine," with no experienced failures.

Models Appearing in Our 2015 December Auction

It should come as no surprise that the reason we decided to write about these sleek little pistols, in addition to their surprising modern relevancy, is the amount of exceptional examples in our upcoming 2015 December Premiere Firearms Auction. One collection, that of Ralf Eyster, focuses entirely on these pistols. Here are a few of the highlights appearing in this sale.

Lot 3593: Historic Documented U.S. Property Marked Colt Model 1903 Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol as Issued to Brigadier General Joseph L. Bernier with Original Wooden Shipping Crate

Lot 1454: Documented Factory Engraved Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Letter

Lot 1452: Scarce Factory Documented OSS Shipped U.S. Property Marked Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Boxed OSS-Pattern Concealment Holster and Two "Cloak and Dagger" Pattern Patches

Lot 3591: Exceptional U.S. Military Colt Model 1903 Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol

Lot 3571: Wolf and Klar Shipped Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless Semi-Automatic Pistol with Box and Factory Letter

Lot 1680: Exceptional U.S. Property Marked Colt Model 1908 .380 Hammerless Pocket Automatic Pistol with Ammunition Pouch and Spare Magazines

Not only are Model 1903 and 1908 pistols still relevant today, they basically set several standards upon their introduction. Their ability to be concealed and streamlined shape gave them practicality beyond their years. The popularity of the gun and its early appearance in the lifetime of semi-automatic pistols, made its design virtually the definition of how a pistol "should" look, especially in TV and movies. It was seen in early Dick Tracy comic strips (and the 1990 movie) and in the hands of Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca."  It quickly turned into an "every pistol" and is a highly under-recognized accomplishment in the John Moses Browning design portfolio. They provide great alternative for someone who wants to concealed carry, but might not appreciate the aesthetics or lack of history of modern pistols.

Luckily, there is no shortage of either of these pistols in our upcoming 2015 December Premiere Firearms Auction. Likewise, there is also an excellent assortment not only of the 1903 and 1908, but also the 1908 Vest Pocket, and a splendid smattering of other early Colt semi-automatic pistols. Please click any of the links below to view the full selection.  You can place bids directly on our website or just peruse the various roles that these guns filled through their four working decades. Whether you choose buy an original Colt, a licensed reproduction, or just look, be sure to do it fast, because the popularity of these little guns seems to be catching on quickly.

Click here to view all Model 1903 & 1908 pistols in the 2015 December auction

Click here to view other early Colt semi-autos in the auction

Click here to view the Ralf Eyster Collection

-Written by Joel R. Kolander




SOURCES:

Ayoob, Massad F. Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World. Vol. II. Iola, WI: Krause, 2012. Print.

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2015/01/23/colt-leaks-model-1903-general-officers-pistol-recreation-2015-shot-show/

http://www.usarmamentcorp.com/manufactured-products/colt-1903-pocket-pistol

...and a big thanks to Jake Nyman for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions!

1911s of the First World War

U.S. military arms are popular with all levels of collectors.  Whether you want a M1 Garand to take out and shoot, a pristine M1 Thompson submachine gun for display only, or even a military rarity such as a Pedersen Device, the appeal is abundant.  Rock Island Auction Company has long offered military arms from many different nations, but our May 2014 Premiere Firearms Auction has provided us with a special opportunity: every military manufacturer of the M1911 and the M1911A1 will be represented.  This is in addition to the Von Norden Collection of German WWII Arms and Artifacts as well as hundreds of other U.S. military pieces such as Garands, Johnson rifles, trapdoors, trench shotguns, swords, M1903s, and even some Tommy guns.

In our previous article, "1911s of the Second World War," we saw examples and heard stories surrounding the five WWII manufacturers of the famed American sidearm.  This article will take a look at the companies that made pistols for the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and does so as the world prepares to remember the Centennial of this unfathomable event.  The first World War began on July 28,1914 and lasted until the armistice on November 11, 1918.  After all the trench fighting, chemical warfare, aerial dogfights, and naval battles were over, 16 million were dead and over 21 million were wounded, making it one of the deadliest wars in human history.

Men of the 23rd Infantry on the Western Front in 1918.

Much of this death was courtesy of the numerous innovations taking place:  machine guns were developing rapidly past Maxim's original design and becoming much more reliable, airplanes fitted with these new machine guns and a synchronization gear (a.k.a. "interrupter") brought the battle to a new front, submarines had advanced well past their military infancy since the U.S. Civil War, chemical warfare was abundant despite the Hague Treaty of 1899, and the British invented the tank, which in turn resulted in many new anti-tank inventions by the Central Powers to destroy them.

Another new invention, in development for a least a decade before WWI, was the M1911 pistol.  John Moses Browning had been developing an "automatic pistol" for the military after they felt that their .38 caliber revolvers were under powered and could not fire nor reload quickly enough in combat.  The problem had been recognized over a decade prior because in 1900 the government placed an order for 1,000 Luger pistols from DWM for testing and evaluation.  Enter JMB and his M-1900.  It was not a perfect design, nor were several subsequent designs such as the M-1902, M-1903, or M-1905 (model designations are Browning's, not to be confused with the military designations).  However, as we all know the M-1911 performed best in the Army field trials, firing 6,000 rounds without a single malfunction, and became adopted as the M1911 by the Army in March 1911 and by the Navy & Marine Corps in 1913.

Upon our entry into the Great War the United States had slightly less than 75,000 of these pistols on-hand for just under 80,000 enlisted servicemen.  It's a rather dismal amount of pistols, but seems downright "prepared" in comparison to the amount of other tools of war that the U.S. possessed.  We had little artillery, barely anyone knowledgeable on how to effectively utilize it in modern warfare, and under 200 machineguns.  Read that again - under 200 machine guns of any type, brand, or manufacturer and most of those had only been purchased for testing of some sort.

Unlike many European nations who are quoted as saying that the war would be over quickly (6 months in some statements), by the time the United States was entering the battle in April 1917, the war had already been going on for almost three years.  We had no such illusions of a short conflict and began ordering enormous quantities of arms to arm a military force that was expected to approach one million men for an offensive that would have taken place in the Fall of 1919.


Colt

Highly Desirable Pre-World War I Colt U.S. Army Contract Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol

Obviously, all of this meant a boon of production for Colt.  Not only were a huge number of sidearms going to be required, but also a staggering number of machineguns.  Even for an experienced producer such as Colt, the demand was simply too great.  The War Department then stepped in and tried to fill the void.  In the government report on wartime manufacturing, "Arms of Industry," the Army was sending contracts out to numerous parties.  One passage regarding the M1911 reads as follows:

"In order to fill the enormously increased pistol requirements of the American Expeditionary Forces contracts for the Colt automatic were given to National Cash Register Company, at Dayton, Ohio; the North American Arms Company, Quebec; the Savage Arms Corporation, Utica, New York; Caron Brothers, Montreal; the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Detroit, Michigan; the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, New Haven, Connecticut; the Lanston Monotype Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Savage Munitions Corporation, San Diego, California."

They were calling on everyone they could think of to manufacture arms for a war they clearly thought was going to be much longer.  In fact, in January of 1918 the War Department released a study stating that the military would need 2.5 MILLION pistols toward the end of 1919.  Needless to say, Colt was swamped.  They had already expanded once to ship pistols to England, but even with Springfield's help both manufacturers were way behind on the initial order of 142,000 pistols.  Two months into the war, June 1917, Colt received yet another contract for another 500,000 pistols!  Using Colt's production rate in 1900, that order would be the equivilant of six years' work.  They even increased production, along with Smith & Wesson, of the .45-caliber Model 1917 revolvers to satisfy a supplemental government contract for 100,000!  At this point they were just pumping out handguns as quickly as possible, and while the government would have obviously preferred the more advanced semi-autos they had to take what they could get.

All in all Colt produced 487,714 of these pistols during WWI, which includes 412,114 of the final contract for 500,000 before the war ended.



Springfield

U.S. Springfield Armory Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol

While Colt was drowning in contracts for pistols and machine guns, Springfield was struggling to keep up with the demand for M1903 bolt action rifles.  They would produce 265,620 M1903 rifles during the war in addition to M1917 Enfield rifles and M1911 pistols.

What did not help Springfield in the manufacturing process of the M1911 was Colt's "build-by-sample" process.  The idea from the Ordnance Department was a good one: ensure that M1911 pistols would have interchangeable parts regardless of what company manufactured them.  To do that, one must have specific measurements plus or minus a certain amount; these measurements are referred to as "tolerances."  These ensure that even a gun assembled with some parts that meet the maximum variances and some that meet the minimum variances will still function as designed.  The problem arose when Colt went to share their "measurements" with other companies - they didn't have accurate measurements.  Sure, there were some base-level numbers written down somewhere, but ultimately those numbers had been refined by the people making the guns and that's exactly who had that knowledge.  So when Colt sent sample guns to Springfield, Remington-UMC, and Winchester so they could copy them for war time manufacturing, all three companies experienced great difficulty in replicating the weapon and its specifics.  In fact, William Goddard states in his book, The Government Models: The Development of the Colt 1911 that, "Winchester's superintendent, whose production methods were the very model of documented and methodical organization, became practically apoplectic when his company tried to set up its contract production of the Model of 1911.  It took Winchester so long to figure out how to specify and build the 1911 that the war ended before they were able to complete any pistols."  Though Winchester should be given some leeway since they were cranking out M1917 rifles as fast as possible due to a government emphasized priority.  Thankfully, the other manufacturers did not suffer similar fates.  Springfield would manufacture 25,767 pistols and only discontinued production to focus on M1903 rifles.



Remington-UMC

U.S. Army Contract Remington-UMC Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol

In 1914 Remington was producing guns for several countries and went through several expansions to do so.  Czar Nicholas II had ordered one million M1891 Russian rifles and bayonets and also needed cartridges for them.  The French also needed ammo, but when the U.S. went to war all other contracts were put to rest.  Remington would manufacture M1911 pistols, Pedersen Devices, Browning machine guns, and Mark III flair pistols and despite the previously mentioned issues between manufacturers crafting interchangeable parts, Remington-UMC would have pistols rolling off the assembly line a mere 8 months after receiving their contract.  With a government contract for 500,000 pistols, Remington would only begin production in August of 1918 giving them almost 3 solid months of run time.  They would complete 13,000 pistols in that time, but were allowed to finish up with what parts they had remaining for a total of 21,676.  After WWI, the equipment used by Remington-UMC was shipped to Springfield for storage and later saw use again through various contractors during WWII.

Original Remington-UMC pistols are already rare, but a cutaway model for demonstrator purposes is truly a scarce find!  The contrast of "in the white" parts and the blued ones helps draw the eye  to it.

Other Contractors
Some of you may look at that list of only three manufacturers and wonder about that large list of companies and cities that received contracts from the U.S. Government to make M1911 pistols.  That's true, many companies did receive contracts to produce pistols since we were so radically behind in making them.  However, many of those contacts were rescinded upon the sudden armistice, leaving a lot of companies who were tooling up for production, or had already started, in the lurch.  Here's a short list of them.

North American Arms Co:  North American Arms had the same troubles that many other M1911 contractors did: they started late in the war, it took a while to receive the proper manufacturing machinery, they lacked individuals skilled in producing the M1911, and needed adequate drawings and specs.  To add to this, North American didn't have adequate facilities.  They had planned to produce the sidearms by leasing the factory of the bygone Ross Rifle Company, since in 1916 Ross rifles were withdrawn from service by Canadian troops (who would switch to the Lee-Enfield).  After all was said and done North American managed to produce approximately 104 uninspected, unissued, "toolroom" pistols.  That number makes them even more rare than the vaunted Singer M1911A1 pistols of World War II!  After the contract of 500,000 was cancelled, many of the remaining parts made by North American were used to complete commercial pistols.  North American is the only manufacturer in this section to have produced complete firearms even if none of them were actually delivered.

Extremely Rare North American Arms Model 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol

A.J. Savage Munitions Co:  Savage started producing parts before the war had ended especially slides and recoil springs.  Any pistol found with a Savage marked slide will likely have markings known to other pistol makers and is a "parts gun" or gun assembled from spare parts.  Savage never assembled a complete gun.  Some of these may even be "lunch box specials" by factory workers who would take single parts at a time to assemble a full gun at home.

No serial number or government markings appear on pistol, but it bears the "H" inspection mark, 3 line patent info, and the "S in flaming bomb" markings attributed to A.J. Savage Munitions Co.

The "S in flaming bomb" can be difficult to see, but appears immediately to the right of the patent information.

National Cash Register, Lanston Monotype, Caron Brothers, Savage Arms Corp, Burroughs Adding Machine Co, Winchester Repeating Arms Co:  These companies combined had contracts totaling 1,550,000 units, but not one would complete a pistol.  Although with Winchester's experienced firearms manufacturing capabilities it is reasonable to assume that all the necessary parts may have been ready upon contract termination, but subsequently shipped to Springfield for assembly.



It may be hard to believe, but this is a very abbreviated history of the manufacturers of the M1911.  Had American production been ramped up sooner, Colt had accurate documents on-hand, and America not been so late to enter World War I, there might be a much greater quanitiy of this revered pistol and from several different manufacturers.  Thankfully, the Great War ended when it did.  The French had lost 1.4 million men (+4% of population), the British has lost 900,000 men (+2%), the Russian Empire lost around 2 million men (2%), and the Germans lost over two million men (+3.5%).  Those figures only include military deaths and not civilian deaths caused by military action, disease, famine, etc.
















We're all grateful to the M1911 and the M1897 trench shotgun (another Browning invention) for their military provenance and proven ability to help clear the trenches in WWI.  The history of these manufacturers is also one that needs to be told - those companies that were willing to help a nation in its time of crisis.  But the time to remember these weapons and companies can wait.  In this Centennial Anniversary of the Great War, let us again remember the millions of young men around the world who left behind their families and fought for their country.  Over 110,000 Americans lost their lives in those short years.  Let us each find some way to honor their memory during this terrible anniversary.  We leave you with the words of Wilfred Owen.

Dulce Et Decorum Est

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!-- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.--
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,--
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

-Written by Joel Kolander





SOURCES:

Clawson, Charles W. Colt .45 Service Pistols: Models of 1911 and 1911A1: Complete Military History, Development, and Production 1900 through 1945. Fort Wayne, IN: C.W. Clawson, 1991. Print.

http://www.coolgunsite.com/pistols/colt%20production.htm#Model of 1911 Production

http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/the-galleries/america-ascending/case-57-world-war-i-allies-the-world-at-war,-1914-1918/us-remington-umc-model-1911-semi-automatic-pistol.aspx

Goddard, William H. D. The Government Models: The Development of the Colt Model of 1911. Lincoln, RI, U.S.A.: A. Mowbray, 1988. Print.

Sweeney, Patrick. 1911: The First 100 Years. Iola, WI: Krause Pubns, 2010. Print.