1911-What do I have??

copter_dad · Post by **copter_dad** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:33 pm

I just acquired this from a friend. It belonged to his deceased father, a WWII and Korea vet. His father retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of Major. It has been in my friends closet for last 50 years. I believe it is a 1917 frame but what about the arched mainspring housing, parkerizing, blued slide lock, thumb safety, etc? It appears to be in excellent shape. Bore is bright and shiny with strong rifling. Value range?

Post by **Bullseye** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:50 pm

Looks to me like a standard issue parkerized USGI .45 cal pistol, likely from WWII era. The Army stopped buying new pistols in 1945. This one could have seen some arsenal refinishing with the slide stop and thumb safety. The spur hammer may be a replacement too.

R,
Bullseye

copter_dad · Post by **copter_dad** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:59 pm

Doesn't the frame number date it to 1917? Would there typically be some arsenal revisit stampings? Value range?

Baldy · Post by **Baldy** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:58 pm

Looks like to me it has been gone thru by someone as all the main parts have been changed. Good luck with it..

Post by **Bullseye** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:47 pm

The first clue this is a rebuilt pistol is the parkerized finish. All of the stampings are worn from a refinish job. None of the WWI pistols were parked they all had blue finishes. The greenish hue to the parkerization is correct for a government refinish job. The serial number of the frame is right for a 1917 frame, plus the trigger scallop cuts are not there, making this the right frame for the time. The acceptance stamp "GHS" is also correct for a 1917 pistol. Just because there's no arsenal stamp marks it is not indicative of a original pistol. Arsenal marks would be located just in front of the slide stop near the "United States Property" markings. There's too many other parts that have been replaced: arched mainspring housing (with lanyard loop), extended grip safety spur, short trigger with a knurled face (the originals were smooth faced). The slide is correct for the time too, with the rampant Colt marking. Overall the pistol is in good shape for being stored for so long. Was it in the holster all that time?

Do the two-tone magazines have any stamp markings on the floor plates (top or bottom)? One looks like a Remington (with the short tab) the others may be Colt originals.

I am not a collector and therefore am not qualified to value your pistol. I will say that since this pistol is not original, the value will be significantly less than one of the period with all the original parts installed.

R,
Bullseye

copter_dad · Post by **copter_dad** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:18 am

I understand the accuracy or inaccuracy of anecdotal history, but it is still fun digging. My friend is 69 yr. old. He said he remembers finding a box in the attic containing the gun in the holster when he was about 15 yr. old. The family is not gun people. I have to surmise that the gun has been in the holster since his father packed it away. I knew that the gun was not original because of the parts mismatches. How do we explain the mismatch of finishes, blued,park'd. Did the arsenals or armorers use mismatched parts? I understand that some things can't be explained, they just "are". I will be receiving a copy of his father's military ID, his military vaccination records, some military pay stubs, and a written history of his military record to the best of my friend's knowledge.

No letters or numbers on any of the magazines.

Post by **Bullseye** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:26 pm

The blued parts are out of the supply chain replacements. Since the pistols were originally blue the spares were also blue. Later on contracts were let for spares with parked finishes which were more cosmetically friendly to the pistol. I also know of depot maintenance facilities that would throw in to the tank spares to park them for matching, however you have to blast the metal to get a really good looking parkerized finish job.

I asked about how it was stored because if it was in the holster all those years there's very little evidence of surface rusting showing from the pictures. Typically the leather holster will absorb moisture and transfer that to the metal causing oxidization. I see a few tiny spots near the grip safety but that's about it. Must have been stored in a relatively low humidity area of the country.

R,
Bullseye

Slanteyedshootist · Post by **Slanteyedshootist** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:39 pm

I'm not qualified to offer any opinion on the monetary value of the 1911. All I have to say is congratulations. That is a piece of history.

teejay · Post by **teejay** » Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:18 pm

Looks like a re built 1911, along with 1911A1 parts as Bullseye noted. What is odd is there aren't any inspector initials and no armory stamp for the re build. Sorry, didn't see the inspectors initials at first, but now I do in the close up. I'd take it. It'd be a good shooter.

TJ