I can't speak to early production A1s being marked that way (someone else will), but early-war replacement slides were marked as such.

 

I have a CMP 1911A1 Colt without “M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY” on the frame and a very low serial number. The frame is a Colt and through my research, the very first production ( 1,000 or so) were marked like this on the frame and the right side of the slide was marked with “M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY”. Would really like to find the slide to complete the pistol.

 

That is a replacement slide. The ones you're thinking of are the 1924 and 1937 contract pistols, which still had "MODEL OF 1911 US ARMY" on them until the Ordnance Dept drawings were updated.

 

Your pictured slide was replacement slide produced from 1938-mid 1943 (if I remember correctly). It was part of the contract requirement for all contractors (Colt, Ithaca, Remington Rand, US&S). Colt never used any of those in its regular production M1911A1. Only Ithaca used some of those M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY marked replacement slides in certain SN range of its production run.

As DSK mentioned, you need to look for one from 1924 to 1937, which marked "MODEL OF 1911 US ARMY" in WWI style.

Colt M1911 45ACP SN:701935 MFG:1924 Transition Model

The Colt Improved Model M1911 is primary referred to as a "Transitional Model". The process to improve the M1911 started in 1920. The ordnance department proposed to shorten the hammer to eliminate hand pinching, extend the grip safety, create a bump on the mainspring housing, cut back and...

www.oldcolt.com

 

I have a CMP 1911A1 Colt without “M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY” on the frame and a very low serial number. The frame is a Colt and through my research, the very first production ( 1,000 or so) were marked like this on the frame and the right side of the slide was marked with “M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY”. Would really like to find the slide to complete the pistol.

Those were the 1924-37 models, and like I said the slide was marked MODEL OF 1911 US ARMY. The M1911A1 designation wasn't adopted until 1926 and didn't appear on pistols until 1938 when the drawings were finally updated.

Finding the correct slide for your frame is going to be very tough as those pistols are very rare. 1918-19 slides look similar and are much more common out in the wild, but there are subtle differences that a collector would notice.

 

Looking for the slide for this pistol.

 

Okay, that's a 1937 contract frame. Finding the "correct" slide is going to be even tougher as only 2349 pistols were made that year. Also the original slide was serial numbered to the frame, so technically there is only one correct slide out there.

 

CMP TAG: SN 711***

 

CMP TAG

View attachment 712878

Pistols from 711606-712349 were procured for the U.S. Navy. But slide still marked as MODEL OF 1911 U.S. ARMY

Colt M1911A1 45ACP SN:712155 MFG:1937 - NAVY

This Colt M1911A1 was built and shipped in October of 1937 and shipped to the Springfield Armory in a 250 pistol shipment. Pistols from 711606-712349 were procured for the U.S. Navy. 1937 M1911A1's are finished in Colt's brushed blue with 28 row checkered walnut grips. The majority of 1937...

www.oldcolt.com

 

II believe that's in the Navy range and would be marked as 1911 on the side.

ETA: Like DSK mentioned, it's going to be hard to near impossible to find the slide if it exists. And there's tons of other aspects of that pistol that would need "correcting", let alone the finish, if you want to take that approach. Your gun, so do as you wish. It's a nice one!

 

II believe that's in the Navy range and would be marked as 1911 on the side.

ETA: Like DSK mentioned, it's going to be hard to near impossible to find the slide if it exists. And there's tons of other aspects of that pistol that would need "correcting", let alone the finish.

No, it’s not a Navy, DSK found a more detailed explanation of what I found.

 

Thanks to DSK and Mlin for the information. If anyone on here can come up with the correct slide for this 1911A1, I’m very interested!

 

How high will you go for "slide only"?

 

Good luck to you. I am very happy with my CMP Navy pistol. It shoots just a bit high right. I shoot it often.

 

Post # 6 above has a picture of the right side of a 1937 M1911A1.

Here's a picture of the left side of a 1937 M1911A1. (Picture from the net.)