I've used probably 8 Smith and Alexander plus a few EGW. Both are excellent, IMO.
Rob

 

+1 ^^^ Wilsons are pretty good, too.

 

Unless they have something new, Wilson doesn't make arched housings.

 

I've got an EGW with the lanyard loop on my Colt O1991 and it fit without any fitting and looks great. I've had a flat ed brown on the same gun that required no fitting also just swapped the internals and slid the new one right in. GI mainspring housings will also install fine with no fitting. I've tried smith and Alexander too

and it's the only one that had to be fitted.

 

I've got an EGW with the lanyard loop on my Colt O1991 and it fit without any fitting and looks great. I've had a flat ed brown on the same gun that required no fitting also just swapped the internals and slid the new one right in...

Hey, Fordpuller, you are just a tease with that single sorta dark photo of that MSH ! 🤔 Where's the rest of the pics showing the rear and bottom??? Lol. 😁

 

I installed an Ed Brown arched housing on a Colt '91, and the housing is JUST slightly too long.
Generally, I like checkered housings, but I prefer smooth side borders, as on serrated housings.
The S&A housing is completely checkered, very functional.
I have a checkered housing with smooth borders, in what appears to be Colt packaging, but am skeptical that it's a Colt part, as I've never seen a Colt gun with that style of housing.
So many guns have had their factory arched housings swapped for flat, there must be drawers full of arched housings out there?

 

So many guns have had their factory arched housings swapped for flat, there must be drawers full of arched housings out there?

Precisely !!! One would think that finding a pristine blued steel Colt factory MSH swapped out for flat would be no big deal. Right?

Fact is I've been searching, albeit infrequently, for some 20 odd years for one and I have yet to find anything remotely approaching a pristine example. Go figure.

 

Most likely both of these pistols are recent Government Models and came with the flat MSH. It is counter-productive to refer to them as '1911A1'. Usually you can find Colt Gov Model parts on ebay. Any post-war Colt GM or Commander serrated MSH should be good to go unless you want the lanyard loop.

 

I appreciate the info, but am a little puzzled on the "counter-productive" part, as I do realize the difference between a 1911 vs 1911A1, and these two would clearly fall into the latter category.

Then again, perhaps some many view them to no loger really be A1 models either, but something else. Frankly, the only reason I added the "A1" on the end was to try to avoid being corrected on nomenclature. Personally, I just call them 1911s, regardless of vintage, but I was trying to be more corrrect, or perhaps less wrong. Foiled again! 😂

As for them both being recent manufacture, one definitely is, but I know for a fact the other one is much older, as I know it's origin.

Any additional guidance is appreciated. ~DR

 

I prefer flat ones, but Ed Brown makes good examples of both:

Ed Brown 1911 Government, Commander Arched Grooved Mainspring Housing

Ed Brown Mainspring Housings are fully machined from solid steel. The sharp checkering is machine cut into each housing with expert precision then...

www.midwayusa.com

I also like Numrich:

Gun Parts & Firearm Accessories | Numrich Gun Parts

Numrich Gun Parts Corporation, America’s leading supplier of current and obsolete gun parts, accessories, and military surplus since 1950.

www.gunpartscorp.com

And while you're at it, you might as well get a small parts set:

Ed Brown 1911 Government, Commander Frame Rebuild Kit Blue

Every pin and spring needed to rebuild or complete a 1911 frame. Includes mainspring cap, mainspring housing pin retainer, hammer strut pin, hammer pin,...

www.midwayusa.com

 

I've got a few Colt factory arched/serrated MSH from the 70s if yer interested. Taken off for flats or checkered.

 

Mkk41, PM sent.

 

I would have to see partial serial numbers or pictures to be able to sort out what you have, but a Mk IV Series '70 Gov Model came with arched, serrated MSH. To replace a factory Colt flat housing, one of those would be your best bet.

 

Technically yes, but I've seen them come with flat housings on occasion when Colt apparently was out of arched ones. This IS Colt, 'ya know.

 

I bought used military 1911a1 msh's on Ebay. I was going to have them re-parkerized as they were pretty worn. It's been twenty years or so, and I suspect it'll never happen. They work fine as they are.

 

My mid 70s 38S Commander purchased new by me came with a smooth flat MSH with lanyard loop installed.

 

How many lines <31-51>? down->-<7-9-12-13-?> across are you looking for? Got a photo of the part? I have some spares and some on guns from the 40's-80's. built with military parts. Is this the shape? Need a loop? I have a friend that deals in these parts also. PM me your # and I will put you in touch. I hate being the middle man. He talks on the phone too long.📞

 

How many lines <31-51>? down->-<7-9-12-13-?> across are you looking for? Got a photo of the part? I have some spares and some on guns from the 40's-80's. built with military parts. Is this the shape? Need a loop? I have a friend that deals in these parts also. PM me your # and I will put you in touch. I hate being the middle man. He talks on the phone too long.📞 View attachment 670693

4barrel,

PM Sent.

 

I very recently got an Ed brown, and it was total out of spec garbage.

I have had good luck with smith and Alexander and egw and often original usgi parts.

 

I very recently got an Ed brown, and it was total out of spec garbage.

Yikes, I feared that would happen eventually.

It reminds me of the housings sold by John Masen. How they've managed to stay in business for decades selling parts that are so way out of spec as to be unusable is completely beyond me. After all, how hard is it to make a freakin' mainspring housing and drill the holes where they belong... really?

 

Folks, I will remove some of the mystery by posting pics of the two I want to replace first.

Attached are photos of the exact pieces sans the last two digits of the serial no's. on each:

 

I just looked in my stash. It looks blue. I pulled it from something at least 20 years ago. No id markings. Could use a reblue? Has ribs look like the one on my Remington Rand which is correct. $80 SHIPPED Don't know who made it. NO PLUNGER
ington Rand.

 

4barrel,

PM sent