For the weird and wacky, how about a Colt Series 70 Government Model in 9mm Steyr?
Some offbeat caliber Colt 1911-guns were picked up earlier this year just prior to the onset of dumb COVID-19. Though internet research reveals some murkiness about the history of the 9mm Steyr Government Models, best take that I can glean of available information is that Colt made a thousand 9mm Steyr chambered Government Models for Italian consumption sometime in the late 1970s and possibly sold a few in Austria as well, along with enough spare parts for servicing those thousand to later make up 100 additional pistols which were later sold off in the 1980s.
This is one of those 100 spares. Factory letter shows it to have been sold new to a distributor in Massachusetts in 1983. In addition to the 100 sold stateside a very few of the pistols destined for Europe have been reimported, showing European proof marks in every instance they are found photographed on the internet.
This pistol came with its box and all associated, was was suppose to be NIB and it probably was new unfired, but has handling marks as if it'd been assembled out of a parts bin, or was a Colt display model, or else on a gun show exhibitor's table for some time. Has the merest beginnings of an idiot scratch. Also, if ever a poor Colt Government Model was a factory second this one's it for it exhibits the worst finish and workmanship I've ever seen in a commercial Colt. Left side slide marking was ham-handedly applied. Trigger's hard. Slide fit is underwhelming, even to someone like me who is less than critically discerning about such things.
New-in-the-box or not, I immediately took it out and shot it with a couple different 115 grain factory loads, Fiocci as well as some custom manufactured 9mm Steyr ammunition. Then Mrs. BMc and I spent the rest of the late afternoon trying to round up brass for it's a bit haphazard in its ejection. We finally gathered up every one before dark. It fed and functioned fine and shot tight groups though quite low.
It's all properly marked and features the proper "70S" serial number prefix unique to the 9mm Steyr series. Last photograph also shows some wear and scuffs.
Thought it's mostly an ornament for the safe I have intentions to shoot it a bit, test it over the chronograph, acquire some additional factory loads old and new for testing, and develop a handload or two for it, mostly just to say I have had the experience of loading the 9mm Steyr. The pistol won't be taken seriously as a "serious" carry piece. But, it could I guess.