Beautiful! Now I'm trying to think of a way to afford one of my own!
RANGE REPORT: My 101-year-old Colt 1911
- Thread starter Watchdog
- Start date
AJ
US Veteran
Mixmaster to some can be derogatory, but to me it is not. I carried a "mixmaster" for many years on active duty. A friend and I rebuilt every M1911A1 in our armory (50 pistols). By the time we got done swapping slides, barrels and barrel bushings they were true mixmasters. But they could shoot much better than most military M1911A1's that I had used before.
hoss@fol43
Member
I also had 50 pistols in my Marine Corps armory with a reserve unit, 49 M1911A1's and 1 M1911. The frame was a Colt I believe but the slide was a Remington UMC. Since it was the lowest serial numbered pistol it was assigned to the battalion Sergeant Major, the oldest Marine in that unit.
If we're gonna do 1918s, then I gotta post mine once more. Shipped in 1918, AA refinished sometime, sent to DCM in 1968 where it fell into my hands for the sum of $60. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol releived me of it during a stop in 1975 as it was laying on top of my dash. After taking it to his cruiser, the officer came back and returned it saying he just could not seize a WWI Colt and to put it under my seat, out of sight. It has been with me a few miles before and since that stop. We just celebrated out 51st anniversary and my wife of 31 years isn't the least bit jealous (well, maybe just a little bit)
The WW2 era sweetheart grips were a recent find and just belonged.
The WW2 era sweetheart grips were a recent find and just belonged.
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bigl1911
Member
I was doing my best not posting pictures on the thread, but yus guys are so into it gatta make it so. Last week was my local Santa Barbara Arms and Blade show. I put together a display which was an evolution of the the USP M1911 - 1900 thru WWII. Included on sub categories I showed a few National Match, Single Shots and US 22 semi-autos. Please note not all the labels were correctly marked. The whole thing was an amazingly difficult task:
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SAFireman
Member
bmcgilvray
Member
It's funny about old 1911s and the internet. I was 21 in 1978 when I got the one I posted above and for some years it was my only 1911 as well as my first Colt. Carried it on hiking, hunting, and fishing on our old family place, toted it for protection on occasion, learned to detail strip the design and how the design functions, learned to handload the .45 ACP with it, fired all sorts of "experimental" handloads from mild to excruciatingly wild through it, fed it copious quantities of handloaded ammunition (by the 1200 round cloth bank coin bags full) and just generally immensely enjoyed it all.
Around 1981 a Colt Gold Cup came my way, then an Ithaca 1911A1, then a couple of Remington Rand 1911A1s, but the 1918 Colt Model 1911 soldiered on as the go-to .45 automatic until as late as 2008. Mrs BMc adopted it as her favorite for range shooting, wagged it around the house with her when she was home alone, and it was her first "toter" for concealed carry purposes.
It was only after several years that I had read enough to realize that I really ought to change out the recoil spring on occasion. Despite all the hard service an already worn out ol' clunk received after I got it, it's never balked or misbehaved, cracked a slide, melted down, or otherwise failed.
I take that back. It went into semi-retirement when the front sight went AWOL there in 2008. Replaced the sight and put it on (mostly) light duty since.
Here is one of the first feeble attempts with a newfangled digital camera showing the pistol sans front sight in summer of 2008.
Now the internet is rife with stories about how the oldie Model 1911s have soft steels, weren't heat treated, ought not be fired, won't stand up to use. These ominous provisos are endlessly repeated and expanded upon. I have no doubt that steels are superior now, and new tight guns are better than old worn clunks.
Still, how'd we ever get by before we had internet firearms "wisdom" to endlessly dither about how "the sky is falling?"
Around 1981 a Colt Gold Cup came my way, then an Ithaca 1911A1, then a couple of Remington Rand 1911A1s, but the 1918 Colt Model 1911 soldiered on as the go-to .45 automatic until as late as 2008. Mrs BMc adopted it as her favorite for range shooting, wagged it around the house with her when she was home alone, and it was her first "toter" for concealed carry purposes.
It was only after several years that I had read enough to realize that I really ought to change out the recoil spring on occasion. Despite all the hard service an already worn out ol' clunk received after I got it, it's never balked or misbehaved, cracked a slide, melted down, or otherwise failed.
I take that back. It went into semi-retirement when the front sight went AWOL there in 2008. Replaced the sight and put it on (mostly) light duty since.
Here is one of the first feeble attempts with a newfangled digital camera showing the pistol sans front sight in summer of 2008.
Now the internet is rife with stories about how the oldie Model 1911s have soft steels, weren't heat treated, ought not be fired, won't stand up to use. These ominous provisos are endlessly repeated and expanded upon. I have no doubt that steels are superior now, and new tight guns are better than old worn clunks.
Still, how'd we ever get by before we had internet firearms "wisdom" to endlessly dither about how "the sky is falling?"
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bmcgilvray
Member
bmcgilvray
Member
True, but ...
The 1911 guns and the "new and improved" models both fling projectiles, using the same caliber ammunition in many instances both then and now, utilizing the same self-contained metallic cartridge design that dates back to Civil War times, but the delivery systems are so much lighter in weight now and more compact, because we all "know" that ever-smaller and ever-lighter is ever-superior. After all marketing and internet forums tell us so.
Right?
The 1911 guns and the "new and improved" models both fling projectiles, using the same caliber ammunition in many instances both then and now, utilizing the same self-contained metallic cartridge design that dates back to Civil War times, but the delivery systems are so much lighter in weight now and more compact, because we all "know" that ever-smaller and ever-lighter is ever-superior. After all marketing and internet forums tell us so.
Right?
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amazingflapjack
US Veteran
100 yrs old eh...might have been one we had in the 'Nam!!
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
If we're gonna do 1918s, then I gotta post mine once more. Shipped in 1918, AA refinished sometime, sent to DCM in 1968 where it fell into my hands for the sum of $60. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol releived me of it during a stop in 1975 as it was laying on top of my dash. After taking it to his cruiser, the officer came back and returned it saying he just could not seize a WWI Colt and to put it under my seat, out of sight. It has been with me a few miles before and since that stop. We just celebrated out 51st anniversary and my wife of 31 years isn't the least bit jealous (well, maybe just a little bit)
The WW2 era sweetheart grips were a recent find and just belonged.
Still looks like Annie Oakley to me-"Little Sure Shot."
OP
Watchdog
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If we're gonna do 1918s, then I gotta post mine once more. Shipped in 1918, AA refinished sometime, sent to DCM in 1968 where it fell into my hands for the sum of $60. The WW2 era sweetheart grips were a recent find and just belonged.
What a great looking old pistol! Love the photo. The sweetheart grips are the icing on the cake.
Thus the Colt (Lightweight) Commander I carry and the Colt Officer’s Model .45’s I carry now (both Blued Steel Wiley Clapp .45’s). Easier to carry, significance varies with how bad my lower back feels that day.
joeintexas
US Veteran
To my eyes these are all fine pieces of art with a ton of character. If only they could talk, what stories we would hear.
Would you mind if I asked what springs you would recommend changing for shooting such an old work of art? I have a 1914 1911 I would love to shoot. I've ordered a recoil spring, but wondering if anything else should be swapped out. I'm saving the original.
bmcgilvray
Member
I just use the recommended standard 16 lb. recoil spring. Brownells and Wolff both sell spring kits for your convenience.
Fiddling with spring weights beyond standard is a recipe for troubles in my view. I don't have troubles with any of my 1911-guns.
Those are some very nice old pistols.
About 10 years ago I started looking for a USGI 1911. I had a budget of about $1000. Lots of people said I could find one for that price but I never did. I looked for several years. I even tried my hand at the recent CMP lottery and struck out there also. Just not meant to be. I know I could buy one for more money but I'm not a collector. I have one 28 year old Colt Gov't 1911 I picked up for $450 that was never fired with the original box and docs. The prices they get these days for a USGI pistol doesn't make a lot of sense to this old timer. I do have a USGI Inland carbine so I'll just have to be happy with that.
I have 3 Colt 1911's in my safe right now and they all go to the range in rotation. Two are Gov't models and one is a Gold Cup. None of them have an arched MS housing and that's just fine with me. I don't think those are real popular these days on 1911's.
Enjoy your shooters in good health boys.
About 10 years ago I started looking for a USGI 1911. I had a budget of about $1000. Lots of people said I could find one for that price but I never did. I looked for several years. I even tried my hand at the recent CMP lottery and struck out there also. Just not meant to be. I know I could buy one for more money but I'm not a collector. I have one 28 year old Colt Gov't 1911 I picked up for $450 that was never fired with the original box and docs. The prices they get these days for a USGI pistol doesn't make a lot of sense to this old timer. I do have a USGI Inland carbine so I'll just have to be happy with that.
I have 3 Colt 1911's in my safe right now and they all go to the range in rotation. Two are Gov't models and one is a Gold Cup. None of them have an arched MS housing and that's just fine with me. I don't think those are real popular these days on 1911's.
Enjoy your shooters in good health boys.
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