Source: ATF P 5300.11 · Curios or Relics List · Jan 1972 – Apr 20253,573 entries · 4 sections
The C&R RegisterA finding aid to the ATF Curios or Relics List, for Type 03 collectors
C&R · II · 146

Colt Government Model, L.A.P.D. Special Edition

Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act

Official wording

ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 6 ↗

Colt, Los Angeles Police Department (L.A.P.D.) Special Edition .45 cal. Government Model semiautomatic pistol.

What this entry requires

  • ATF REQUIRESYour firearm is this edition: “Los Angeles Police Department (L.A.P.D.) Special Edition .45 cal. Government Model semiautomatic pistol”
  • INFOATF states no date; production was about 1979–1981.

Editorial facts · Our research

Country
United States
Manufacturer
Colt's Firearms
Type
Pistol
Action
Semi-auto
Caliber
.45 ACP
Made
c. 1979–1981production; ATF states no date¹
Service
Commercial
Search listings ↗Check a specific gunReport an error ↗

Source

Official wording
ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 6 ↗ · ATF original ↗
Entries
1 line
Verbatim check
Checked against the PDF text before every release
Editorial facts
Confidence: Medium · Last revised 17 October 2026 (Data-trust review) · How we rate confidence
References
  1. ctfirearmsauction.com ↗, years: consecutive LAPD Special Edition MKIV Series 70 pair, S/Ns 14387B70–14388B70, year 1980
Fact tags
  • ATF the ATF wording states it.
  • REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
  • ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
  • NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
Source checked
20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
Corrections
2 changes · see below

Correction history

  1. Data-trust reviewEditorial confidence: Low → Medium. Re-rated after supporting references were added or re-checked.
  2. Data-trust reviewYears: 1970–1999 → 1979–1981. Series 70 LAPD edition dated c.1980, not 1970–1999

All corrections · How corrections work

Historical context

M1911 pistol (base model shown for Colt Government Model, L.A.P.D. Special Edition)
Shown: the base M1911 and M1911A1, not the L.A.P.D. Special Edition.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “M1911 and M1911A1 pistols.JPG” by Dkamm at English Wikipedia, Public domain. Retrieved October 2026.

Summary: Wikipedia, “M1911 pistol”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.

FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Colt M1911 is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge.