[[email protected]]

Hello everybody i got this gun from a relative and i like to know more about it, the front end of the slide has a darker blue than the rest of the slide like if it was dipped on something, also has the CSR under the mag release,http://[URL=https://s270.photobucket.com/user/vhag/media/IMG_0267.jpg.html]

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[dsk]

The dark front end of the slide is due to heat treating and is common on 1911s made from 1925-45. The CSR stands for Major Charles S Reed who was inspector of Ordnance at the time your pistol was made, which should be around 1940. While the finish is badly worn the pistol is still a fairly valuable piece as surviving pre-war military M1911A1s are quite rare. More pics are needed to better ascertain value however. Also you would need to remove the firing pin stop plate and look on the slide underneath to see if the serial number matches the frame.

 

[[email protected]]

Wow i never tough of looking there for serial number, it is in a weird stack order but does have a matching number under the firing pin plate , if you like to see other pics i can take some more, are this safe to shoot ?

 

[[email protected]]

here are some more pics

 

[dsk]

I can't tell if it's got the original finish worn off of it, if it was once refinished, or if it was simply cold blued at some point. Nevertheless an otherwise all-matching CSR will easily be a couple thousand dollars, so I would advise against using it as a shooter. It should be safe to shoot if in good mechanical condition, but with older, softer steels in it the chances of something cracking or breaking are much higher than with a modern 1911.

 

[corpsman5]

nice looking pistol, especially nice to have inherited it. without seeing the last 3 numbers of the serial, I can't be more specific than to tell you that it was shipped from Colt to the Commanding Officer, Springfield Armory, sometime between October and December of 1940. It's possible that it was re-shipped to the U.S. Navy, as several shipped in the latter part of the year were. looks to be original, but it's really hard to tell from the pics. Congratulations on inheriting a great looking pistol You are now the caretaker of a nice piece of history.

 

[[email protected]]

Thank you for the info, it looks really good in person, pictures doesn't do a justice to this gun, i notice the recoil spring is very soft compared to a modern 1911, will it affect anything if i replace the recoil spring to a new one ?

 

[corpsman5]

will it affect anything if i replace the recoil spring to a new one ?

yes... the value... seriously, though. I wouldn't even bother. As dsk said, I wouldn't use it as a shooter. Changing the spring out for another one just raises the chances of loosing the original.

 

[[email protected]]

I will leave it alone then, Thank you

 

[corpsman5]

I will leave it alone then, Thank you

Of course, this is just my opinion and/or advice. It's yours, so do whatever makes you happy.

 

[usgi1911]

It is hard to tell by looking at the photos. It dose have some spot of cold blue in many of areas like right side front by the muzzle and top of slide? Hard to tell. You need a better lighting to photograph. Your Colt may have been handled pretty much during its lifetime and probably touched up in my opinion. Since it is rare for that year I would leave it alone. Dose it have the Colt .45 Auto marked barrel?

 

[Sergio Natali]

Like many other collectors here I'm of the "don't shoot it" school, and if I had such a nice heirloom from my dad, I'd treasure it.

 

[1saxman]

You have stumbled onto a real find. The pre-war blued Colts are some of the most sought-after.

 

[[email protected]]

It is hard to tell by looking at the photos. It dose have some spot of cold blue in many of areas like right side front by the muzzle and top of slide? Hard to tell. You need a better lighting to photograph. Your Colt may have been handled pretty much during its lifetime and probably touched up in my opinion. Since it is rare for that year I would leave it alone. Dose it have the Colt .45 Auto marked barrel?

at first i didn't see any markings but does have the colt markins

 

[corpsman5]

in front of the barrel lug, it should have a "G" stamped into it.

 

[rgold]

it front of the barrel lug, it should have a "G" stamped into it.

should look something like this. I think this is the large G. There is also a smaller G mark. I'm not sure of the time frames of those marks.

 

[corpsman5]

it front of the barrel lug, it should have a "G" stamped into it.

should look something like this. I think this is the large G. There is also a smaller G mark. I'm not sure of the time frames of those marks.

yeah, i’m not sure either. i’ll have to check when i get home.

 

[dsk]

Per Clawson the G-marked barrels were used from 712350 to ~900,000, and the large G showed up around 790,000. A CSR pistol would definitely use the smaller G marking.

 

[[email protected]]

There is the G guys not sure if it is small or big

 

[stan2]

There is the G guys not sure if it is small or big

[email protected],

It looks small.

Best Regards,

P.S. Here's some "G"s for comparison. The "G" with the "F G" barrel is large.