1911 (14)

An unexpected visitor returned from America just as we were preparing for the live-fire test.

Uncle Heinrich had returned from his visit to the United States.

My uncle, a naval officer, had toured New York and Washington and attended the launching ceremony for a new yacht. On the day he arrived at the Imperial Palace, he had the large boxes unpacked before his luggage.

American newspapers, catalogs from machine-tool companies, promotional booklets from shipyards and railway companies, electrical appliances, and all sorts of souvenirs spilled out of them.

My younger siblings got toys and sweets.

In front of me, he placed thick firearms-company catalogs and a small pistol case.

“I left the live ammunition behind so my brother wouldn’t scold me.”

Inside the case was an American-made Colt automatic pistol.

It wasn’t the final M1911 I remembered. Its overall shape was longer, and the barrel and slide looked different, but the magazine fit inside the grip and the slide operated in a way that made it clear Browning had designed it.

“Where did you get it?”...