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ithaca .45 identification help please


barry chandler
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barry chandler

need some help identifying what i have.  according to the serial number (1182647) colt made the frame, but it has an ithaca slide.  the inspector initials are "GHD", and the backstrap, trigger, and hammer have checkering.  the gun is blued instead of parkerized, and it has brown plastic grips.  is this a made up gun or an original ithaca ?  any help from anyone would be appreciated.

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Photos would help greatly.I am no expert,however a Colt frame and Ithaca slide would make it a put together. My quess is it is a reblue as it should be parkerized.As to the checkered controls.not sure.

Someone will be along with more knowledge.

Good luck.

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barry chandler

thanks for the input friend, i don't know enough about the collectibility of these to be dangerous.  i didn't know if there were times when the manufacturers shared parts during wartime or not.

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5 hours ago, 72psb said:

Photos would help greatly.I am no expert,however a Colt frame and Ithaca slide would make it a put together. My quess is it is a reblue as it should be parkerized.As to the checkered controls.not sure.

Someone will be along with more knowledge.

Good luck.

 IMHO messed with I would pass on this one unless you just want a shooter and the price is right?

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Not collectible and there are better shooters if that is what you are looking for.  The frame you describe is a Colt and the slide is an Ithaca and it should be parkerized as others have noted.

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17 minutes ago, barry chandler said:

is the serial number the only way to tell it's a colt frame?

 

It is not.  You can also tell by the font used on serial number, as Colt used serifed numerals, where the other contract makers did not.

 

The assigned Ordnance inspector stamp is also a way to identify Colts, as is their Verified Proof “VP” stamp on the left-front of the trigger guard.

 

Also, if original, the hammers on Colts are different, as are triggers, stocks, and some other small parts.  But these are less reliable, as they can be switched fairly easily.

 

Sans pics, it’s really tricky to tell what is there.  If indeed it’s a blued finish, then that is obviously an issue; however, I wouldn’t stop there, depending on price.  Some USGI 1911(A1) parts can be pretty valuable.  Examples are early barrels, walnut grips, some magazines, and parts specific to more rare makers - i.e., a barrel bushing with concentric circle tooling marks, which is only correct in a US&S example.  My point, is there may be money to be made parting one out - if it’s not original.
 

I would also be wary of using a mis-matched frame and slide as a sole means of decision-making.  I have seen numerous mis-matched 1911s in the veteran’s hands, who carried them home.  There are several explanations for this, to include unit-level Armorer service and repair, and even a simple “cleaning party”, where multiple 1911s were disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled “incorrectly”.  I guess a bunch of guys in their 20s weren’t thinking about collector Internet opinions 75 years into the future.

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barry chandler

well blacksmith, you seem to know a lot about the gi 45!  spent most of my life making guns work, but not much attention to what makes a particular gun a thoroughbred as far as value.  this gun i'm looking at belongs to my preacher and he thinks he has a gold mine, and he may, i just don't know what to look for.  from what i've read the inspector stamp on the colt frame would have been FJA, but this one is GHD, but i can find no mention of this inspector, so could this have been a colt frame built and inspected at ithaca?

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I appreciate that Barry, it’s a constant learning process; and by contrast, I don’t know diddly about Garands.  :)

 

The initials “GHD” are for (eventual) BG Guy H. Drewry, who was the Army Inspector of Ordnance assigned to Colt during that production timeframe - as identified by serial number range.

 

Multiple parts were inspected in component form, with the completed gun’s final acceptance made evident through the Ordnance Inspector’s mark - in this case his initials.  For some makers, they would also receive the crossed cannons / flaming bomb stamp, that was the Ordnance Escutcheon, indicating final acceptance.  The Ordnance Inspector’s mark, and the Ordnance Escutcheon (when used), were both applied to the frame. 

 

There were multiple successful tests required of sampled guns, such as operability and parts interchangeability - what we call “mil-spec” today.  

 

And for purposes of trivia, “FJA” are the inspector initials for LTC Frank J. Atwood, and would be expected on Ithaca and Remington Rand examples.

 

Lastly, on value, without pics, it’s really hard to say.  Good luck.

 

 

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barry chandler

Thanks again for the info.  i now have more ammunition to give the preacher a better idea what he can expect from his gun.  It really makes me feel good to know there are guys who don't mind sharing their knowledge to help someone else.  And for that sir, I thank you.

 

 

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