[mdwpm]

Need comments on this 'Remington Rand' 1911A1 please.

Marked: UNITED STATES PROPERTY NO. 1028xxx M 1911 A1 U.S. ARMY on the right side of the frame. There is also a faint marking just forward of the pin from the safety which resembles the Ordnance Mark - but it is weak.

The left side of the frame has the intials FJA below the rear portion of the slide stop. Rear of the magazine release is an initial which could be a D or P - it is weakly stamped.

Here's the kicker. When the slide stop is removed the frame beneath it is stamped HING LONG NAPA, CA.

The slide is marked REMINGTON RAND, INC. SYRACUSE, N Y. U S A. on the left side.

There are no apparent markings on the barrel.

Comments please - has anyone encountered the HING LONG NAPA, CA before?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[3378]

The marking is an importer's marking. Your gun was imported back into the US.

 

[dsk]

At least they were tactful enough to hide it under the slide stop. Others were occasionally hid underneath the grips or inside the mag well too. Your pistol may or may not still have its original finish, but the importer stamp will reduce value to a small degree. If the pistol still looks nice some buyers may not even care about the stamp.

------------------
D. Kamm
USGI M1911/M1911A1 Pistols Website
http://www.geocities.com/M1911_M1911A1

 

[SamColtFan]

Hello Mdwpm....
According to your serial number, you possibly have a Rem Rand slide on Union Switch & Signal frame. FJA inspectors initials were used on Ithacas, Remington Rands and US&S pistols. The good news is that there was some serial number overlap in the 1943 guns. DSK will be able to help you determine whether your pistol is correct. Is the "P" on the frame the same as the "P" on top of the slide in front of the rear sight?

Again, DSK...will hopefully see this and give you more to look for.

Regards,
Sam

 

[Ben Reyes]

.

 

[3378]

I am starting to get a complex as a numbers freak.
Gun description makes me assume it is a refinish. As light or faint as ALL the stamps are makes me think it took a phosphate bath. Also, no barrel markings? But, if bought for the money, it will still make a good shooter.

 

[mdwpm]

All,

Thanks for the great responses. You answered my primary concern that the gun is not a counterfeit - someone casting frames and putting fake markings/serial numbers, etc. Clearly illegal, but it has probably been done. The stamp under the slide release threw me as I didn't realize importers were required to do that.

I bought the pistol 'just to have' - as a reminder of the years in the 1970s and 80s that I spent as an Army MP carrying the darn things. Always had pretty good luck with them at the range, although I haven't fired this one yet.

The finish is pretty good - even parkarized gray color. Some pitting if a few places, but really it's almost in as good a shape as the ones I use to get out of the armsroom. The barrel is pretty definitely not original - I'll be looking for another one to drop in it.

Probably paid too much for it (675), but I'm tired of looking at gun shows around here where anything out of a case is at least $1000!

Thanks again,
Jim

 

[MrAngry]

I just bought one of these yesterday evening when I happened upon it at a local gun shop. I have been looking at a lot of different 1911s for a shooter and couldn't pass it up for $450. I will be curious to learn more about it so I will get the #s and post them later.

 

[mdwpm]

MrAngry,

Yes, I'm seeing a few show up on GunBroker around the $500 mark which is probably not a bad price. There is one over there right now.

Although it's hard to be certain from the photo the parkarizing on the slide doesn't 'look' right. My experience is that it should be 'smoother' than what the picture shows.

But hey I'm certainly not an expert as this thread demonstrates!

Jim

 

[MrAngry]

Well according to the gun shop I got mine from this gun is all original but has been refinished in blue. The S/N is a 165xxxx so that would make it a 1943 model if I am not mistaken. Now I just have to wait until the 12th to pick it up. What is this gun worth since it's been refinished? It is in very good condition.

 

[3378]

Actually, 165xxxx is a relatively mid-late 1944 Colt number. good luck. Hopefully will be a nice shooter for you.

 

[MrAngry]

My mistake it's a 156xxxx

 

[mdwpm]

Yee-haw! Took the Remington to the range last night. It’s been over 15 years since I shot the old 45 ACP. Been doing the 9mm thing. Had forgotten how much fun it is to shoot a ‘real gun’! Almost had to quit shooting as I couldn’t stop grinning in anticipation as I was squeezing the trigger.

No good news to report on accuracy. But I’m convinced that the next time around I’ll be able to concentrate more on the mechanics of shooting and less on the sheer enjoyment of shooting the old 1911A1.

Hooah!
Jim

 

[MrAngry]

I pick mine up on Monday!! Woo-Hoo!!

 

[3378]

1,56x,xxx is still 1944. Your pistol was part of a 138,098 gun order in mid-'44. It was Rem Rand's 3rd largest contract. The last 1943 Rem Rand was about 1,363,700.

 

[dinosaur]

I`ve had one for about 25 years. Paid $200 for it. Someone had it nickle plated and that was old when I bought it. Shoots ball ammo great. I haven`t shot it in a long time as I have other .45`s but if I dust it off and change the recoil spring, I expect it`ll shoot just as good.

 

[dsk]

Many S/N tables (including mine) erroneously reported that 1944 production began much higher in the serial range. I've since amended the SN table on my website.

Damn. I thought my RR was a '43.

------------------
D. Kamm
USGI M1911/M1911A1 Pistols Website
http://usgi1911.tripod.com

[This message has been edited by dsk (edited 11-15-2001).]

 

[mdwpm]

dsk,

Thanks for the update. Looks like I remain firmly ensconced in 1943 with Serial NO. 1028xxx.

By the way went out for another session on the range. Firing 5-shot groups from a supported position was acceptable at the 7-yard line. I tended to throw out the first shot of each group. I think it is because of the play/slack in the trigger. Once I had that under control the remaining four rounds were very well grouped – usually literally touching each other. Moving on to the 25-yard line was very disappointing – I’m sure an indictment of my shooting ability.

Now it’s time to tune up the trigger group. I realize I won’t have a ‘target’ pistol (and that’s not what I bought it for anyway), but I think with a little trigger work the results at the 25-yard line will improve.

By the way absolutely no mechanical problems at all – i.e. no FTF, FTE, etc. Ran perfect through 100 rounds of American Eagle 230-grain ball ammo.

Regards to all,
Jim