Ithaca 1911A1

[CLASSIC12]

You may know how it goes. You get the chance to buy a nice Colt 1911 A1 from 1943 (bought back in 2013 at an auction).

Then you’re thinking, it’d be nice to have another maker, like a Remington Rand, coincidentally also from 1943 (bought last year from a private seller).

Eventually you’re starting to think about an Ithaca

I was visiting an LGS here in Switzerland where I seldom go, to buy specifically a .22 lr competition pistol (Hämmerli 280 )

And I remember seeing a very nice Ithaca at his booth at a gun show back in December 2019, which I even photographed. Price was a whopping $ 2900.- then

So I asked anyway if he had any Ithaca 1911A1. Turns out he had two, one in poor condition, and the one I saw at the gun show. Even better, price was now down to $ 2500.-. And it was made in 1943 I believe.

It came home with me. It is in an amazing condition, almost like new. The only “blemish” being German proof marks that were added. I think I might not shoot this one, even if it goes against my nature.

The trio

Now to find a US&S

 

[PALADIN85020]

I got that disease of "gotta have one of each" quite a number of years ago when asking prices were way more reasonable. Here's the result....all U.S. .45 caliber handguns from the 20th Century. Still missing a Singer - unless it falls into my lap, I'll probably never find one that doesn't require a new mortgage on the house! If you have a copy of the 2003 Gun Digest, you can read the extensive article I did on these guns. Good luck!

John

 

[max]

Very classic guns. It is a shame they can't tell you their story.

 

[Shark Bait]

Very nice set there. I'm hoping I can get a 1911 from the CMP sometime soon. Thanks for sharing yours.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Very classic guns. It is a shame they can't tell you their story.

Sometimes they can. This Colt 1911A1 was willed to me by my step-father-in-law, a World War II and Korean War veteran. I documented its history and have kept that with the gun.

John

 

[gregintenn]

Very nice collection. I’m really liking my Remington Rand. I’m hoping to find a Colt one day.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Thank you for posting this Classic12. That one is particularly interesting and certainly has a ton of history associated with it.

Those GI .45s are really something. Any collector would be proud to have them in their collection.

John, I never get tired of that group photo. I recently learned of a liberator for sale locally...thought to myself I don't want to open that door because then I'll be chasing even more.

 

[Ray]

Shoot it pal, life is too short.
Regards, Ray

 

[Mblhopo]

I live about 25 miles from where the liberators were made during WW2 GM Guide Lamp plant in Anderson, Indiana....Rumor has it a lot were smuggled out by workers and found years later in attics, basements, and closets..........................................M*

 

[VaTom]

Very Nice 1943 Ithaca 1911a1. I have a 1943 one also. 1267XXX serial number (all original). Have three WWII magazines with it. I shoot it about once a year. I did replace the recoil spring, firing pin spring, and the magazine springs. (Kept the old ones in case I ever sell it. Very unlikely!) Mine also has the cross cartouche on the left side of trigger guard like yours. All Ithacas had one stamped there. Several different designs. Shoots flawlessly. Bought in 2007 for $1,250.

Box and Holster in pictures are reproductions.

 

[murphydog]

I got that disease of "gotta have one of each" quite a number of years ago when asking prices were way more reasonable. Here's the result....all U.S. .45 caliber handguns from the 20th Century. Still missing a Singer - unless it falls into my lap, I'll probably never find one that doesn't require a new mortgage on the house! If you have a copy of the 2003 Gun Digest, you can read the extensive article I did on these guns. Good luck!

John

If you want to branch out into the 21st century, you'll need a Colt M45A1.

 

[Frank46]

1943 1911A1's made by Ithaca seem to be coming out of the wood work. My general foreman was a WWII vet and we got to talking one night about firearms. I mentioned I had this firearm and mentioned he had one as well. So did some horse trading. So I'm joining the 1943 Ithaca club. can't figure out why so many 1943 Ithaca showing up. Other than they must have made a bunch that year. But the funny thing is that besides my 1943 Ithaca, my M1 Garand and my M1 carbine were both made in 1943. Just luck of the draw I guess, heck even my sporterized 1903A3 was made in 1943. Frank

 

[S-W4EVER]

The first M1911A1 I was issued in the Army (1973) was an Ithaca. It was a good pistol.

 

[VaTom]

1943 1911A1's made by Ithaca seem to be coming out of the wood work. My general foreman was a WWII vet and we got to talking one night about firearms. I mentioned I had this firearm and mentioned he had one as well. So did some horse trading. So I'm joining the 1943 Ithaca club. can't figure out why so many 1943 Ithaca showing up. Other than they must have made a bunch that year. But the funny thing is that besides my 1943 Ithaca, my M1 Garand and my M1 carbine were both made in 1943. Just luck of the draw I guess, heck even my sporterized 1903A3 was made in 1943. Frank

Ithaca made a total of around 350,000 during the war. About the same number as Colt. Remington Rand made over 1,000,000. Hard to tell about the Ithacas showing up. 1943 was a big ramp up year for the Air War over Europe. Air crews carried .45s. Wonder if a number Of Ithacas were bring backs from air crews especially officers. After 25 missions (later 35) air crews rotated back to US. Think it would be easier for an officer to bring back one in personal baggage than enlisted. Maybe these are coming from estates.
If I am not mistaken Remington Rand had some start up issues with parts interchangeably earlier on and really didn't get into full out production until 1944 through 1945.

 

[31FordA]

That’s a nice Ithaca. My Ithaca is also a 1943, but it doesn’t look quite as nice. The cosmetic issues don’t hurt it’s performance however, it shoot’s great.

 

[sipowicz]

Looks just like my 1943 Ithaca. My most cherished piece next to my late dad’s DS.

A little history.

http://103divwwii.usm.edu/assets/ltc-croll.pdf

 

[PALADIN85020]

The very first G.I. 45 I ever owned was this Ithaca, vintage of 1943. I purchased it in early 1961 from a sporting goods store in Phoenix. I traded my first pistol, a Ruger Standard 6", for it and had to throw in some cash. I was going into the Army after college graduation, and wanted something more potent as a protection gun to travel cross-country. I was quite familiar with the 1911A1, and I was glad to finally have one of my own.

In the Army, I did some shooting in pistol competition, but my old warhorse suffered from lack of accuracy. I splurged on a competition accuracy job from a very competent gunsmith, and this pistol became both my carry gun on active duty and my centerfire pistol for bullseye competition. The gun was 100% reliable and could put them in the black consistently if I did my part.

It was also my carry gun in the Arizona National Guard's 158th Infantry "Bushmasters," an outfit that had a distinguished combat history during WWII. I did a lot of bullseye shooting with it as well. During this time I upgraded it with some more modern components.

Today it's a memento of my days in the Army, and one gun I will pass on to my heirs someday.

John

 

[LostintheOzone]

That has to be the nicest Ithaca, or any 1911 A1 I've ever seen. Generally they've been rebuilt from donor parts so anything like yours is extremely hard to find.

I'm not a collector but I did snag a CMP 1911 A1. I call those franken pistols because of all the donor parts. They did come directly from the Army for whatever that's worth.

 

[LostintheOzone]

Ithaca made a total of around 350,000 during the war. About the same number as Colt. Remington Rand made over 1,000,000. Hard to tell about the Ithacas showing up. 1943 was a big ramp up year for the Air War over Europe. Air crews carried .45s. Wonder if a number Of Ithacas were bring backs from air crews especially officers. After 25 missions (later 35) air crews rotated back to US. Think it would be easier for an officer to bring back one in personal baggage than enlisted. Maybe these are coming from estates.
If I am not mistaken Remington Rand had some start up issues with parts interchangeably earlier on and really didn't get into full out production until 1944 through 1945.

I've read that pilots brought back a lot of issue revolvers and pistols which were never turned in. I personally knew a pilot who flew P-47's in Europe and he told me the AF didn't make a big deal out of officers keeping their sidearms once they returned. I guess they thought if the guy could live thru that he deserved a keep sake.

 

[VaTom]

I bought mine from a Winchester lever rifle collector in Pa. He had bought an entire estate of rifles and two 1911A1s came with it. I think as the war went on it probably became more difficult to bring back weapons without authorization. I know a Vietnam vet who was a platoon leader (Lt.) and was in combat in 1970. He said he came across a new 1911A1 in an NVA bunker still in cosmoline. Told me he wanted to bring it home but regulations had gotten so tight by that time that he turned it in when left Vietnam rather than chance getting caught bringing it back.. The U.S. gave a lot of arms to the Chinese during WWII and later after the Communist took over the arms ended up in Asian communist countries. During the Korean War in the Chosin Campaign many of the Chinese were carrying Thompson SMGs.

 

[LostintheOzone]

During WW2 the attitude about sidearms was fairly lax. I have a pistol that my dad brought back from Europe. I believe he was in a mechanized unit of some type but was never able get any info on it. He had his commanding officer sign a document that stated that the pistol in question (not US issue) was his personal property. I have that document with the pistol. Spoils of war I guess.

 

[Kurusu]

My Ithaca did not retire early, and it ended up with a Remington frame. It's very reliable but not competition grade accurate it is just accurate enough to get the intended job done.

Does not look pristine either.

Remington frame.

 

[LostintheOzone]

My Ithaca did not retire early, and it ended up with a Remington frame. It's very reliable but not competition grade accurate it is just accurate enough to get the intended job done.

Does not look pristine either.

Remington frame.

Well, at least you got an Ithaca slide. Nobody will know it isn't an Ithaca thru and thru unless they check the serial number on the frame. Mine's a Colt, more or less. RR frame like yours.

 

[bushmaster1313]

Packed by the factory December 7, 1943:

Shoots okay at 7 yards

 

[Muley Gil]

I have a 1911A1 that has had target sights added to it. The slide is a US&S and I THOUGHT that the serial number was in the Ithaca SN range. However, it does not have the cross stamping on the trigger guard; it has what looks like a beehive stamping. Can anyone ID the maker for me?

 

[VaTom]

I have a 1911A1 that has had target sights added to it. The slide is a US&S and I THOUGHT that the serial number was in the Ithaca SN range. However, it does not have the cross stamping on the trigger guard; it has what looks like a beehive stamping. Can anyone ID the maker for me?

See the chart in the picture. It shows the stampings that Ithaca used on their frames on the left side of trigger guard. I would say yours is a correct Ithaca frame.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I have a reference for those as well but my wife packed all of my books preparing for a move that never happened. Needless to say I'm not going to look thru 20 boxes to find it. I think the above reference is probably better than mine anyway.

 

[Muley Gil]

Thanks guys. #4 from the left looks like my mark. The serial number is 2619303. The frame is also marked FJA.

 

[Faulkner]

I have a Ithaca 1911A1 made in 1943 that was given to me by a Korean War veteran. The original finish is not nearly as nice as CLASSIC12's but it's in excellent shape and original, including a HS marked barrel. Shoots well too, I think this one was carried a lot but not shot much.

 

[Kurusu]

My Ithaca did not retire early, and it ended up with a Remington frame.

By the way. The Remington frame is from 1944. The rest of the pistol I do not know.