Picked myself up a new to me Colt 1911 a few days ago. The Colt serial number has helped me identify it as a model produced in 1918. Which I’m seeing some refer to as a “Black Army”
I’m fairly new to the 1911 platform and only own a pair of modern Springfields, but the intrigue of this almost 100 year old gun made me have to take it home.
I’ve had some friends help me identify that it’s got a WW2 mainspring housing, and that someone’s done not their best handiwork on attempting to “Ball Radius” the slide.
It also appears some of the original marking have been removed, so I’m assuming the finish isn’t original.
I picked it up for a grand total of $450 and was just curious not so much to the value, but to if anyone would be willing to share what some of the markings/history are behind it.
I don’t believe I got burned on the deal, but this is my first vintage 1911 purchase.
Is it supposed to be a non firing gun? In your pics the firing pin and stop are missing and it looks like the stop is gone in the assembled pic too (hammer is too far forward). In addition to what you mentioned its got an A1 trigger and grip safety.
Slide is an abomination and with that much metal removed I would be worried about structural integrity and damage to frame on firing. The frame looks nice and is a very late 1918( they moved the property stamp to the right side very late in 1911 production) the slide and barrel are both mis match and later vintage. The frame alone is probably worth the money you paid though. When I get home I can check my books and let you know more
Those pictures were taken with the gun in a dissembled state for examination + photography. I’ve fired 20 rounds through the gun before purchase and it functions as it should. Not sure why the hammer appears that was as it is indeed operational.
Yeah that would be great. I’m grateful for any help your willing to give me as far as identifying markings and such. I’ve looked into the Colt archives but getting information from them would cost 25% of what I paid for the gun, and I’m not sure yet than I’ve got anything other than just a plain jane someone has done a bit of garage 'smithing on.
Just trying to get some insight as to if it’s worth it to track down correct parts, or simply make a custom gun to my liking out of it. So the barrel and slide aren’t correct then?
In reviewing my books here are some shipping records of 1911’s in that serial range broken down by date number shipped and destination. I do not have a record of your specific serial number so it is anyone’s guess in which of the listed shipments it was in:
12/18/18 20 war prison barracks fort Oglethorpe Georgia
12/26/18 705 fort ring gold Texas
1/31/19 200 fort Omaha Nebraska
141 West Point
152 16th cav Mercedes Texas
152 coast defense Jackson barracks New Orleans
2/5/19 332 Colorado national guard
1512 camp Sherman Ohio
29 state of Minnesota
460 19th infantry camp Travis San antonio
2/6/19 490 3rd infantry eagle pass Texas
2/7/19 35700 army reserve depot New York
As you can see most were shipped to depot storage right after being built in this serial range, but would have been pulled out issued reassigned etc up to the end of the 1911 era of issue, with some non a1 pistols known to still be in the system today
Looking a little closer the slide is older based on the disconnector cut, barrel at least mid ww 2 or newer replaced mainspring housing grip safety and God knows what else. A refinished bubba’d mix master, but the frame is still nice. I would slap a 22 conversion on it. While there are plenty of 90+ year old frames in functional shape out there the metallurgy back then was not nearly as good as today and many worry about frame damage with continued shooting especially considering the old springs and lightened slide.
I think your frame has been refinished, which kills the value of the frame. The edges look rounded, and they should be sharp like in the example below.
So the consensus is that the historical value is pretty much gone based on the amount of parts replaced, refinished, etc?
I’d like to have a Government model I could get out and shoot pretty regularly. It’ sounding like the parts I’d need to replace to make a reliable everyday piece would lend better to selling this one and going with a Loaded Springfield or the such…
