REAL 1911 pistols!

[Kurusu]

My one and only 1911 - the slide says Ithaca, the frame numbers to a Remington Rand. At some point it was reparked and put away. Scorned by collectors, but much loved by me:

Mine did't get reparked. Also a Ithaca slide and a Remington frame.

 

[Texas Star]

The first 1911 I ever shot was a borrowed DCM Remington Rand in 1959. A year later my folks bought it from the then owner for $25 and put it under the tree for me for Christmas, 1960. Until I started reloading I bought steel cased corrosive EC 43 hardball ammo for $2 a box.

We've been together 50 years now, joined at the hip you might say.

Gun writer Jeff Cooper, a retired Marine officer, warned me to oil those steel cases if I had to fire any. Said they were okay in SMG's, but tended to shear the extractor hooks on auto pistols. Of course, they should work okay in M-1917 revolvers and other .45 ACP revolvers.

Just a warning to anyone who may not know this. I avoid corrosive primed ammo, anyway.

 

[Texas Star]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfOBDgafJYE&t=16s[/ame]

Katharina Vikor is a Norwegian lass who does quite good gun videos, sort of ala Hickock 45.

Here, she compares the Norwegian M-1914 (made in 1928) with a Colt M-1911A-1 air dropped to Norwegian resistance fighters in 1943.

Cut her some slack. Her English is good, although she has to think a little to get some words right, and she's just 17. But she's hunted not just in Norway, but in South Africa. Her gun videos are very enjoyable. I especially like this one and one on the .450 Martini-Henry rifle.

Are Norwegian M-1914's also M-1911's? Basically, and were made under Colt license. But the slide stop has a lower shelf, to accomodate smaller hands better.

 

[GKC]

This may be something that everyone already knows, but I didn't for a while...granted I am slower than most...in any case, the Springfield company that made those wonderful old 1911s is not the Springfield company of today (which is based in Brazil.) I sure would love to have one of the original Springfields, or ANY of the original 1911s, but that ain't happening. Just have to enjoy my SR1911 CMD and it's real enough for me.

 

[Texas Star]

This may be something that everyone already knows, but I didn't for a while...granted I am slower than most...in any case, the Springfield company that made those wonderful old 1911s is not the Springfield company of today (which is based in Brazil.) I sure would love to have one of the original Springfields, or ANY of the original 1911s, but that ain't happening. Just have to enjoy my SR1911 CMD and it's real enough for me.

The original wasn't a "company." It was a US arsenal, government operated in Springfield, MA . I think it was closed for reasons that I probably can't discuss here. (Political.)

The current Springfield Armory uses Brazilian parts from Itajuba Arsenal (Imbel) but is a US firm in IL.

 

[jsfricks]

Here’s my all original/correct 1943 1911A1 Ithaca.

 

[Kurusu]

YouTube

Katharina Vikor is a Norwegian lass who does quite good gun videos, sort of ala Hickock 45.

Here, she compares the Norwegian M-1914 (made in 1928) with a Colt M-1911A-1 air dropped to Norwegian resistance fighters in 1943.

Cut her some slack. Her English is good, although she has to think a little to get some words right, and she's just 17. But she's hunted not just in Norway, but in South Africa. Her gun videos are very enjoyable. I especially like this one and one on the .450 Martini-Henry rifle.

Are Norwegian M-1914's also M-1911's? Basically, and were made under Colt license. But the slide stop has a lower shelf, to accomodate smaller hands better .

I understand that was made to better accomodate heavy winter gloves. Norwegians aren't exactly known for their small hands.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Actually, my collection of U.S. issue .45 handguns includes more than 1911s and 1911A1s. For example, the 1909 Colt revolver, which fired .45 Colt cartridges or the GI .45 cartridges which had slightly wider rims. Also, there is a very rare Liberator pistol, which was provided to partisan groups during WW II - crude, single shot, but it could kill. The newer Mark 23 SOCOM pistol is also included, which is available to our special forces. This photo appeared as part of my article on U.S. issue .45s of the 20th Century. It was in the 2003 issue of Gun Digest, and it won the John Amber award that year - a photo of me was featured in the 2004 issue. I acquired a good portion of these handguns back in the 60s and 70s, when the prices were not so astronomical. Today, these guns are well secured in a large bank safe deposit box.

John

 

[sigp220.45]

Wow, a blast from the past! I actually traded off my GI 1911 from that 2012 post, but I hope the CMP gods will favor me with another one in a month or two.

 

[tndrfttom]

I really like that Springfield Armory M1911 allot. In about 1970 I had a choice of either a heavily-used Springfield 1911 or a 95% Remington Rand 1911A1 with British proofs for $100 (I couldn’t afford both). Naturally I took the near-new Remington Rand 1911A1 – and naturally I traded off a few months later!

I got an A.J. Savage/Colt 1911 Augusta Arsenal rework by accident as part of a trade. It had a badly corroded barrel and looks like it has been reparkerized more than once. I didn’t think much of it until I looked it up in Clawson’s book and saw it was a desirable variation.

The search for an affordable Springfield Armory 1911 continues.

A couple of years ago I was in the right place with the right about of cash and scored a really nice 1918 manufacture Colt M1911 with holster 2-tone magazines, etc. That one is a keeper.

 

[max]

I didn't look at the dates and did not realize how old the original post was. I too had a very nice old Colt, but sold it a couple of years ago. I was never going to fire it and was at the stage of life it was time to start selling. I still have 5 1911's by the way, but all are of newer vintage.

 

[GKC]

The current Springfield Armory uses Brazilian parts from Itajuba Arsenal (Imbel) but is a US firm in IL.

They must import firearms instead of just parts...or at least at one time, they did. I remember some years ago, I bought a few Springfield 1911s, and a couple had "Made in Brazil" on them, and one had "Made in Illinois" (or something like that to indicate it was made in the USA.) At the time, the USA made pistols were scarce and highly desired. I haven't bought any in years, so I don't know if that is still the case...and I've forgotten what percentage of manufacture has to be done to enable the gun to be marked as made in the USA.

 

[Texas Star]

They must import firearms instead of just parts...or at least at one time, they did. I remember some years ago, I bought a few Springfield 1911s, and a couple had "Made in Brazil" on them, and one had "Made in Illinois" (or something like that to indicate it was made in the USA.) At the time, the USA made pistols were scarce and highly desired. I haven't bought any in years, so I don't know if that is still the case...and I've forgotten what percentage of manufacture has to be done to enable the gun to be marked as made in the USA.

Yeah, I think their basic guns were right out of Brasil, to use their spelling. The higher grade ones were worked on in IL, with added features. Not sure if that's still the case.

Everyone here probably knows that Argentina also made Colt .45 autos under license.

 

[charles_the_hammer]

No need to apologize. I like the way those pics turned out. Film is awesome. You could use film and have the pics developed and put to disk and they would look just as good or better than most digital cameras used today. But since you are taking pics for a gun mag you probably already know this.

 

[SATX]

Very nice collection. Thanks for sharing.

I’ve owned a couple of modern 1911’s but sold them for modern plastic pistols. I pretty much swore them off but he allure of the 1911 is powerful, I can’t help but looking at them and probably end up with another.

 

[Frank46]

I have a 1911A1 made in 1943 by Ithaca. Was carried by a WWII vet who served in tanks. Muzzle is a little dinged up and the parkerized finish isn't the best but has the correct markings on the barrel and best part she's all mine. This would be the last pistol I'd ever put up for sale. Have had her for close to thirty years and with the exception of the cigar box of assorted ammunition that came with it all she has seen is 230 grain round nosed hard cast bullets. When I first started shooting some local steel plate matches it was all I had. Was very hard to pick up those tiny front sights. Frank

 

[crsides]

Just picked up this 1918 black army version a couple weeks ago.

All original except for the mag.