John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Share #1 Posted December 5, 2020 Could someone please help me to figure out this m1911? It has a five digit serial number but no "Property of US government " anywhere on the frame...Colt slide but there's no pretext in front of the serial number so I'm needing help trying to figure this pistol out...thanks for your help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Brannan Posted December 5, 2020 Share #2 Posted December 5, 2020 John pictures really help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted December 5, 2020 Yes sir, I know but unfortunately I can't load any...fairly certain the problem is with me...I'm going to try again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted December 5, 2020 Finally figured it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2020 Share #5 Posted December 5, 2020 Pictures are pretty fuzzy, but I’m not a fan of most everything I can make out. Clearly refinished, reproduction grips, and even the “two-tone” magazine looks weird - I.e., looks like paint instead of bluing. Again, better pics would help a bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted December 5, 2020 Yes sir I knew she'd been re-arsenaled and I put the repro grips on her myself...gonna change them to the proper grips...I'll take more pictures tomorrow but I greatly appreciate the replys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2020 Share #7 Posted December 5, 2020 I don’t personally think so John. An arsenal rework would imply that this is a GI example, which I am not sure that it is - at least not as far as the frame is concerned. A USGI example, having been reworked, would have an arsenal mark stamped on the frame, which is lacking on this example. Also missing on the frame, is an Ordnance Inspector stamp, which was on all GI pistols 1912 and forward. This SN, beyond missing the “No” prefix, falls in a range that was Navy-issued. This means it should have a Navy slide; not the Army one it’s wearing. Based solely on these photos, this looks like a put-together parts gun to me, that’s trying to look like a USGI 1911. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted December 5, 2020 Thank you sir, I'm going to take better photos directly...I'm also going to field strip her because there are markings on the internals however, there is a small proof mark behind the trigger, left side, eagles head over the number 6...first photo of the mark second photo of an "H" rear of slide... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted December 5, 2020 Alright sir, with the slide off there are two letters, a "G" and another "H" at the very rear of the frame, there's also the number "3" positioned to the right, just forward of the mag well...I know it's hard to see but I am using a jewellers loupe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted December 5, 2020 Not that this tells me anything about the pistol but it came to me in this holster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2020 Share #11 Posted December 5, 2020 Those pictures help a lot, thank you. However, they further the enigmatic nature of this particular 1911. Seeing the provisional inspection marks (Hosmer’s “H”, and the “G”), indicates this is a GI frame, but the Eagle’s Head inspection marks were only in use for a short time - specifically a twelve month period from 1918-1919. Where that creates incongruity, is that all pistols in that date range would have a 6-digit serial number. What does the barrel look like? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted December 5, 2020 Not that this tells me anything about the pistol but it came to me in this holster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #13 Posted December 5, 2020 Ok sir, there is another "G" just forward of the barrel link and an imprint on the top of the barrel, at the ejection port...I know that this particular 1911 is an enigma and I really appreciate the help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #14 Posted December 5, 2020 This picture is a bit less fuzzy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2020 Share #15 Posted December 5, 2020 That is a pretty valuable barrel, and would have been used from approximately SN# 400,000, to the end of 1911 production. There was a slightly more rare variant of that “interlaced HP” barrel - used only in 1924 - which would have a particular marking just in front of the barrel lug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Posted December 5, 2020 Share #16 Posted December 5, 2020 Without having it in-hand, based on that barrel (even though it could have been swapped), and the Eagle’s Head inspection mark, I suspect this was originally a 1918 pistol. It is for sure pre-1924, and it is lacking a key “A1” frame modification, that being the finger reliefs around the trigger well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #17 Posted December 5, 2020 Only other marking I found on the barrel was a "G" forward of the barrel link...once again, I really appreciate the information... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 5, 2020 Author Share #18 Posted December 5, 2020 I'm still not having any luck with the serial numbers without a letter or no prefix... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfields Posted December 7, 2020 Share #19 Posted December 7, 2020 first off, it's a a very pleasing looking pistol. However when you look at the details I'm thinking this pistol was heavily refinished outside the arsenal system. It probably started out life as a 1918-ish pistol. The fact that the 'No' is missing is a big problem and suggests to me that a new SN was stamped on the frame at the time of refinish. Of course the 'United States Property' mark is completely gone as well. Just my 2 cents worth. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share #20 Posted December 7, 2020 Thank you for the response sir...according to an individual at Coltautos.com it was made in 1918, Colt frame and slide, the serial number was re-issued at the time she was re-arsenaled, he said that it was more common then people realize but some re-furbeds were indeed given new serial numbers and the "Property of US Government " rollmarks were removed...he turned me on to their archive website that will issue me a Colt certificate of authenticy...a very heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped me try to piece the history of this pistol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Grider Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share #21 Posted December 7, 2020 History of this pistol together...apologize for the incorrect grammar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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