Yes, pics are needed. Just use Photoshop to blur out the last two or three digits in the S/N.

 

Okay guys,
Here are two closeup pics of the sides of my Colt.
I am having some minor trouble downloading a couple other pics of the whole gun, but I will try to get them up here asap.

This is the area that I am curious about anyway so here goes;

My questions again are; Do you think this gun has been refinished post war?

There are no arsenal marks anywhere, so I would guess that it has been refinished by a commercial professional.

Is it possible that the pitting that you see in those pics could be in the parkerizing or underneath the new finish?

Thanks,
D.

PS: Sorry for the huge pics. Any admin who wishes to modify or delete these as too big has my apologies.

PPS: Sorry for all the dust on the gun. Prior pics were taken on a deteriorating white-painted wicker chair and I did not realize how much dust and paint flakes had gotten on the gun until after I saw the pics.

 

Colt No.940987

Colt No.940987 was shipped between May 28 and June 10, 1943 to Springfield Armory. It should have a matching serial number under the firing pin stop plate. The barrel is a post WWII replacement, and the grips are repro 1911 style. It is not a National Match, and has just had a few parts changed out.
The GHD, the Verified Proof (the VP in the triangle on the left front triggerguard bow, and the ordnance acceptance mark would have been stamped after the pistol was finished, and should show evidence of cutting through the finish. If filled in with finish, the present finish was applied after it left Colt. The phosphate finish can be boiled off with a weak solution of muratic acid which leaves the surface in the original state without sandblasting or buffing. Have you checked the feed ramp to see if it is polished, or is it finished over with the phosphate?

 

Thank you, sir.
The feed ramp is polished. I have examined the stampings you mentioned with magnification and I think there is parkerizing in the strikes. Although it is very difficult to be sure, as the inside of the strike appears shinier than the parkerizing, I think the parkerizing IS in there.

You can see the ordnance crossed cannons in the pic above. It is a very light strike as you can see.

The verified proof is much more difficult to tell as it is so small.

What about the pitting (on both sides of the slide near the ejection port)? Do you think that is in the park or under it?

Btw: I am thrilled with this gun as my first 1911A1 and I am also very pleased with the fact that this old warhorse has had a little updating and restoration as I want this as a shooter.

I was toying with the idea of restoring this to WWII parts, either by replacing the slide or the few parts, but now I am leaning away from that. This is another good honest gun that should be left as found.

Cheers and thanks,
D.

 

Slide

Did you check under the firng pin stop plate to see if the slide was serial numbered to the frame? If matching you sure don't want to change it, and it improves the possibility that the finish is original.
It is very hard to look at pictures of the markings and determine whethr original finish or not. The pitting could very well be through the original finish. When you find pitting that is finished over, and is all the same color as the rest of the pistol, chances are very high that it has been refinished.

 

Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention that. The serial number under the firing pin stop matches the frame.

Thanks again for the input.

D.

 

Sounds like a very interesting find, and a very nice piece of History. Also, very nice pics!
Good luck.

 

Colt # 941254

As my Colt is just 267 numbers higher than that of Johnny Peppers it would be interesting to know if it was shipped to Springfield Armory along with 940987.
Do to the high cost of a Colt letter I guess I will never know.

 

What has me truly thinking about this gun...

Should I "restore" it to USGI configuration?

I have kicked it around and I have pretty much decided that this finish is original enough for me and proper for the WWII era. All it would need to restore it would be a set of plastic Colt grips, a barrel/bushing and WW2-era front and rear sights.

I am going to shoot this gun and I am already aware of how limiting the original low sights are to range accuracy, so I am definitely torn between the parts restoration and just leaving it as is and shooting an honest gun with great sights, barrel/bushing and grips.

I would love to hear any thoughts or opinions on this issue.

Thanks,
D.

Here are a couple more gi-nourmous pics. Again, feel free to delete or modify if too big.

 

It might be easier to find another Colt M1911A1 slide then to restore the one on the gun. The grips will be fairly easy to come by.

 

Colt No.940987 was shipped between May 28 and June 10, 1943 to Springfield Armory. It should have a matching serial number under the firing pin stop plate. The barrel is a post WWII replacement, and the grips are repro 1911 style. It is not a National Match, and has just had a few parts changed out.
The GHD, the Verified Proof (the VP in the triangle on the left front triggerguard bow, and the ordnance acceptance mark would have been stamped after the pistol was finished, and should show evidence of cutting through the finish. If filled in with finish, the present finish was applied after it left Colt. The phosphate finish can be boiled off with a weak solution of muratic acid which leaves the surface in the original state without sandblasting or buffing. Have you checked the feed ramp to see if it is polished, or is it finished over with the phosphate?

Serial 940987 also falls into the range 916405-958100 that were assigned to Remington Rand. Colt duplicated 41,696 of RR's serials. It adds 10% to the value

 

Since the slide is serialized to the frame the only way to restore it is to have the standard sights refitted. This will require refinishing at least the slide so the pistol will never be "original."

Double Diamond grips are never correct on a M1911A1 (after circa 1928). Real, old stock WW2 grips are available from several sources.

-- Chuck

 

You can get replacement GI sights from Bill Ricca (www.billricca.com).

Replacement grips are available from Simpson LTD (www.simpsonltd.com).

For the barrel, you'll have to try gun shows or eBay. Just a word of caution however, all the original-finish WW2 Colt barrels I've seen on eBay recently have been bid up well into the hundreds of dollars. If you find one that's been parkerized you might be able to pick it up for less than a couple hundred bucks.

Yes, I know it sounds insane to pay $400 for a barrel, but that's the way it is.

 

Colt Grips

When the so called Transition Model came out in 1924, it had the full checkered wood grips. The last of the double diamond grips were fitted to the Model 1911 which ceased production in early 1919.

 

Duplicate numbers

Here is another 1943 Colt with a duplicate number of RR.