I bought this pistol new several years ago and I recently got it back from my gunsmith friend who'd been doing some work on it for me.

I'd been wanting to do something to it to make it a bit different. So my friend found vintage 1911A1 parts from WWII for me, nitre blued them, and installed them, along with a new stainless checkered flat MSH.

The nitre blue is beautiful...my photos really don't do it justice. The blue seems to change shades under different lighting...little highlights of darker and lighter blue. The pins are blued, too. I love the trigger and the old wide spur hammer. The pistol ties into my love of vintage 1911s...especially the military versions.

I may get him to nitre blue the sights...or I may get him to put on some vintage G.I. sights after he blues them. This isn't any kind of target pistol, so sights aren't all that important to me. There won't be any sort of "accurizing" done to this pistol, no fancy bushings, no match barrels, none of that stuff. It hits what I point it at just fine.

The pistol isn't a safe queen as you can see. It's got some marks and scratches. It gets shot and carried sometimes, and often rides along in the truck.

It isn't a barbeque gun...but it may get a trip to the engraver's before too much longer, and I'm looking at a set of mammoth ivory grips. Kinda waffling between them and some pre-72 walrus ivory grips.

The gun leather here is by El Paso Saddlery, by the way.

If you're interested, you can see larger versions of the photographs by clicking on each one.

That hammer looks like one from an original 1911. I like those big ole hammers. While I know it's not "tactical", it's easy to thumb cock that old boy while drawing with that big hammer. I like it!

Thanks, Billy. I believe the hammer is "officially" referred to as a No. 3 wide spur hammer. I may be wrong...I often am.

I like it.Have the blued version and swapped out the grips,trigger and MSH.Keep thinking it needs a wide spur hammer too

There is something about a wide spur hammer and a standard grip safety, without the raised "memory pad" or whatever they call it that just looks right.

You're right. And there's really nothing "wrong" with the stock hammer...I just wanted the wide spur one.

The one used on my gun was originally parkerized. It must not have been used much, because the checkering is so crisp, it could've been done yesterday.

Very nice,never met a 1911 I didn't like.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

I love those old Beaver tail hammers! Every 1911 I built for my personal use has one! I also prefer beautiful Rose Wood grips, but all my Colt production guns have factory walnut grip panels.

I also prefer flat mainspring housings on my personally built 1911's. It seems that these small embellishments are what make a production gun into a personal treasure!

Ivan

I totally agree. I have never liked the newer designs for the grip safety on any 1911, and I can't stand those upswept beavertail things. I know some people like them because they prevent hammer bite, but I've never been bitten, so I have no need for them.

Great rig....