My Dad has my Grandfather's Colt, serialed 586, property of US Navy.
I've given up a long time ago on finding out exactly where it served. The only thing I know is that Papaw bought it as surplus I think in the fifties. Something like $50 I believe.
I don't even know for sure if the Military keeps records that close. I know that a firearm (when I was in, 2002-2006) could be tracked by the serial, but only to the unit that was supposed to be in possession of it, and all the records even then were on paper, so it could take months to years, unless you already know where to look. Example: One of our village idiots left his rifle in the PX in KAF. The soldier that found it turned it in to his command, who was able to ask around and find out what unit had a dumbass who was missing their rifle. It took two days to track down the records.
I very highly doubt you'll find every post it was issued at, who it was issued to, or even for sure whether or not it was sent over seas or just used as a training pistol. However, if it was on a marksmanship team in the service, I'll bet you could come across that information.
I asked my armorer, a friend of mine, about the history of my SAW, and if it was possible to track down the former SAW gunner who carried it. The only thing he could tell me was that it was given to our division, from the Army, in 2001. The unit I was in didn't keep the records as to who was issued it before me, if it had gone anywhere, or even if it had stayed within our company during the time it was in my Battalion, or even if it was in our battalion the entire time it was in our division.
Maybe if I'd gone higher up the chain of command? I don't know, but oh well. One thing I know for sure, those records simply aren't kept at Company level. And I doubt the records are very detailed at Division level.
Sorry. I hope your able to at least find something. I just don't have much faith that you'll be able to find very much.
