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The famous, legendary, mystique-filled "Black Army" finish started making it s appearance around #325,000 or so. It's hard to say for sure when because there was absolutely nothing special about it other than the fact that Colt eliminated the final polishing steps, resulting in a duller, more "black" finish.

Many, many years ago I had a 1918 Colt reblued by a local smith. He carefully blasted it with soft media to remove the old finish but left the original sanding "grain" alone, then threw it in a hot blue tank. It came out looking really good... maybe not good enough to fool a collector but most people wouldn't have noticed it was reblued if I had "stressed" the finish a little afterwards.
 
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According to many of the purists on this forum, the gun is ALREADY RUINED b/c most of the original oxidized finish has been removed.
But, that aside, thanks for the vote of confidence. (y)
You somewhat misunderstood my comment. Maybe it was my fault because I wasn't clear enough. I did not mean that you would ruin it by lack of quality work or negligence. I meant that doing anything to the pistol that would remove it's originality would ruin it. You will probably find that most here would agree. Many of the 1911's of that vintage are far worse than yours. I have no doubt that you could make the pistol look new again. Unfortunately, when that is done, it has lost all of it's originality and history along with it. (arguably value too) Many of us here hate to see original pistols refurbished, simply because they are a finite commodity. Every one that is taken from it's original state, is one that is gone forever, so to speak. We feel that way simply because we have such an admiration for these pistols. Ultimately, however, it's your pistol, and you can do whatever your heart desires. That being said, Parkerizing it would be a complete abomination from the standpoint of any 1911 enthusiast. If you do decide to refurbish it, at least do it the justice of re-bluing it to the correct factory finish.
 
Discussion starter · #23 · (Edited)
You somewhat misunderstood my comment. Maybe it was my fault because I wasn't clear enough. I did not mean that you would ruin it by lack of quality work or negligence. I meant that doing anything to the pistol that would remove it's originality would ruin it. You will probably find that most here would agree. Many of the 1911's of that vintage are far worse than yours. I have no doubt that you could make the pistol look new again. Unfortunately, when that is done, it has lost all of it's originality and history along with it. (arguably value too) Many of us here hate to see original pistols refurbished, simply because they are a finite commodity. Every one that is taken from it's original state, is one is gone forever, so to speak. We feel that way simply because we have such an admiration for these pistols. Ultimately, however, it's your pistol, and you can do whatever your heart desires. That being said, Parkerizing it would be a complete abomination from the standpoint of any 1911 enthusiast. If you do decide to refurbish it, at least do it the justice of re-bluing it to the correct factory finish.
@corpsman5
Thanks for your response and thoughtful explanation.
I do not understand why restoring an old pistol is any different than doing the same to an old piece of furniture or automobile. I appreciate and respect your feelings about these old weapons and their symbolism, but what I do not understand is that to many people those feelings become a fetish and I believe that is not healthy. I never owned a firearm until five months ago when my veteran brother in law (that's him in the photo), who I loved, died and his daughter, my niece, asked me if I would like to have it. I've enjoyed learning about a subject that I was ignorant of and more importantly, the pistol, oxidized or not, reminds me of someone who I had great affection for.
RG
 
My original Bullseye .45 is a 1918 with a Bomar sight, small beavertail grip safety, target hammer, etc. I don't consider it to be ruined. It has Cpl. Kepshire's name stamped in the slide, he might think differently.
 
@corpsman5
Thanks for your response and thoughtful explanation.
I do not understand why restoring an old pistol is any different than doing the same to an old piece of furniture or automobile. I appreciate and respect your feelings about these old weapons and their symbolism, but what I do not understand is that to many people those feelings become a fetish and I believe that is not healthy. I never owned a firearm until five months ago when my veteran brother in law (that's him in the photo), who I loved, died and his daughter, my niece, asked me if I would like to have it. I've enjoyed learning about a subject that I was ignorant of and more importantly, the pistol, oxidized or not, reminds me of someone who I had great affection for.
RG

I'm glad we are on the same page, at least. To elaborate a little, an old pistol is no different than an old piece of furniture, or an automobile. It's all in the eye of the beholder. For instance, I don't care one iota about antique glassware. However, there are some people out there who absolutely live and die for it. That's all it's about... just having a passion for something that tickles your fancy. Personally, I hate to see history erased. To be more specific, I hate to see historically significant collectible items lose their originality.

It's nice that your niece offered your brother's pistol to you, rather than throw it in a drawer or take it to a pawn shop. You can think of your brother every time you pick up, and I'm sure he would be happy to know that. Whether you should leave it as is, or make it like new, is simply a matter of opinion. The main thing, is how it makes you feel when you pick it up. That connection to your brother is the important part.

For a real-life example, if I were to restore my 1912 Navy, I doubt many people would have much interest in it as a collectable. Even though it's in rough shape, it's close to original, and that really gets some people going.

 
According to many of the purists on this forum, the gun is ALREADY RUINED b/c most of the original oxidized finish has been removed.
But, that aside, thanks for the vote of confidence. (y)
That fine Colt 1911 is not ruin in any way. If you re-finish it, then it will be ruin. Leave it alone or sell it and make a few bucks.
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
It is fitted in a dovetail - remove by driving from the left side ( if you're holding the gun) towards the ejection port side. Use a heavy vise bolted to a solid bench or don't even try it. If you don't need to change the sight then leave it in place and Park the whole slide. If a proper degreasing is done there won't be any oil left under it. I use solvent then acetone then high pressure air. If the sight is loose then look at new ones.
Would you use Loctite when reattaching the sight?
 
RG, being as it's your pistol and a keepsake momento from your brother-in-law, I say do to it what you want.

While it's very nice as-is, I can also see it with a brand-new, quality bluing. The secret to a good re-blue is the prep work (by someone who knows what they're doing), of course.

Your call.

No Loctite -- you shouldn't need it if done right.
 
@corpsman5
Thanks for your response and thoughtful explanation.
I do not understand why restoring an old pistol is any different than doing the same to an old piece of furniture or automobile. I appreciate and respect your feelings about these old weapons and their symbolism, but what I do not understand is that to many people those feelings become a fetish and I believe that is not healthy. I never owned a firearm until five months ago when my veteran brother in law (that's him in the photo), who I loved, died and his daughter, my niece, asked me if I would like to have it. I've enjoyed learning about a subject that I was ignorant of and more importantly, the pistol, oxidized or not, reminds me of someone who I had great affection for.
RG
Collectors want high condition original finish and are willing to pay dearly for it. Once a pistol - or any other antique - is refinished, the value is significantly diminished. For example, I once saw a guy on Antiques Road Show who had an original Tiffany lamp. The expert valued it at $20K because the guy had "cleaned it up". The expert told him that lamp would be worth $100K had he not refinished it. The same concept applies to guns with original military finish compared to guns that have been refinished. Many here have said the cost to refinish will most often never be recovered. In your case, the gun is currently in the same condition as when you received it from your brother in law, and same as when he owned it. You may want to leave it as is.
 
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