Description
The Colt 1911 Day of the Dead 38 Super is a Government Model 1911 Classic finished as a piece of Mexican folk art. The high polished stainless slide is engraved with traditional Dia de los Muertos motifs, gold inlay picks out the rampant Colt and the serpentine Colt logo, and black Pearlite grips carry gold Colt medallions.
Why 38 Super Belongs on This Gun
The pairing is not accidental. The .38 Super has been the definitive Mexican pistol cartridge for decades because civilian ownership of military calibres is restricted there, and Colt chambering the Day of the Dead in .38 Super rather than .45 ACP is a deliberate nod to that history.
It is also a genuinely good cartridge. A 130 grain bullet leaves a five inch barrel faster than most 9mm loads manage, the round feeds beautifully in a 1911, and capacity is nine in the magazine instead of the seven or eight a .45 gives you.
Colt 1911 Day of the Dead 38 Super Engraving
The slide carries a folk art motif engraved across both flats, with calaveras, scrollwork and floral detail cut into the polished stainless. It is real engraving with depth rather than a laser etched surface print, and the contrast between the cut work and the mirror polish is what makes the gun read across a room.
Select gold inlay is used sparingly on the Colt logo and the rampant pony, which keeps the piece from tipping into gaudy. Serial numbers on this run carry a DOD prefix, a detail collectors care about.
Grips and Furniture
The grips are custom black Pearlite with gold rampant Colt medallions and stainless hex screws. Pearlite has the depth and figure of real pearl without the fragility, which matters on a gun that people actually want to handle rather than leave in a safe.
Everything else is a standard Colt Government Model 1911 Classic: five inch barrel, single action, Series 70 style lockwork and the same steel frame Colt has been building since 1911. It ships with one magazine.
Shooting the 38 Super
Recoil in a full size steel 1911 chambered in .38 Super is mild, closer to 9mm than to .45 ACP, and the flat trajectory makes the cartridge easy to shoot well at distance. Factory loads in 115 to 130 grain are the common offerings, and the cartridge has a long competition history in USPSA and IPSC where its velocity earns a power factor advantage.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Colt’s Manufacturing
- Model: Government Model 1911 Classic, Day of the Dead
- Item Number: O1911C-SS38-DOD
- Caliber: 38 Super Auto
- Action: Single action semi-automatic
- Capacity: 9+1
- Barrel: 5 in.
- Frame and slide: Steel, high polished stainless finish
- Slide: Deep engraved folk art motif with black background
- Inlay: Gold plated Colt logo and rampant Colt
- Grips: Black Pearlite with gold Colt medallions and stainless hex screws
- Magazines included: 1
- UPC: 098289112309
Why Buyers Choose the Colt 1911 Day of the Dead 38 Super
The Colt 1911 Day of the Dead 38 Super is a collector’s pistol that still shoots. Factory engraving of this quality normally means sending a gun out to a custom shop and waiting months, and the .38 Super chambering makes it meaningful rather than decorative.
Who Should Buy It
Colt collectors, 1911 enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates engraved firearms. It also appeals to shooters with a connection to the Dia de los Muertos tradition, which is the whole reason the gun exists.
Be realistic about it. Polished stainless shows every fingerprint and holster mark, so this is not a daily carry gun unless you accept that. Production of this model has ended, .38 Super ammunition is less common on shelves than 9mm or .45, and one magazine ships with the pistol.
Compare the other Colt Government Models in our firearms selection, and see Colt’s Manufacturing for platform documentation and warranty support.
Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.
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