Found a GI gun....

[Lawyerman]

Slide is Colt, the frame has me puzzled though. It looks to be original to the gun by wear pattern etc...but it has more friggen stamps on it than you can count.....on the left side there is an FJA-pretty standard, original acceptance stamp.

On the right side of the frame it has a cross cannon Springfield stamp behind the grip panel near the tang, an RIA stamp near the serial number, and two letters- FK added in the same area.

Serial number makes it 1943 Colt production. Why all the arsenal restamps though? Surely the gun wasn't re arsenaled 3 times since it was built kinda late vs a 1918 gun etc....?

[exitwounds]

If the frame has an FJA stamp it is either a Remington Rand or Ithaca Frame made in 1943. What is the serial number? Colt duplicated serial numbers of 41,696 Remington Rand pistols the sn range of 916405 - 958100, and 60000 Ithaca pistols in serial number range of 856405 - 916404. A Colt would would have a G.H.D. stamp in the location of the FJA. The RIA is a rebuild stamp of Rock Island Arsenal and the FK is the inspector intials of Frank Krack the inspector at RIA . Indicating the pistol was rebuilt by RIA some time around Sep '41 to Jul '46 during his time there. The crossed cannons stamp is the Ord Dept Final Inspection Mark adopted in '42, not to be confused with Springfield Armory's logo of today, although similar. It was found on all Ithaca, Remington Rand, and Colt pistols (after sn 830000 on the Colt) and is often only partially struck.

[Lawyerman]

The serial number of the Frame is 1,2798xx. That puts it in 1943 as an Ithaca with the FJA stamp. But then it was apparently rebuilt sometime between the time it left in 43 originally and 46-and maybe the Colt slide added at that time when Krack was still there?

Or....someone got a Colt slide from God knows where and this frame....from God knows where and mated them long enough ago that the combination looks aged together. Everything on the gun is GI, no aftermarket parts-brown plastic grips, AMSH, small sights, 1911 grip and thumb safety, trigger cross hatched etc...and the pieces do look like they have been together a long time.

Maybe it was put together in the mid 40's and issued out in Korea or Vietnam???

[exitwounds]

It is likely the way RIA rebuilt it, and refinished there also. The RIA and FK should be after the finish if that is the case.