American Wire and Cable made 1911s for the USG

[John]

Hey guys, have you ever heard of a company called American Wire and Cable, making 1911s for the US Government, during the war era?

We have an issue with a post, in the Other M-1911 section, and I would like to hear from the more experts on this subject.

Rgds

[wichaka]

John,

I made a post on the other thread. The only one that comes close is North American Arms, they were made in Canada.

I will check with the past Pres. of the Colt Collectors Assoc., he lives near by..........will give him a call and get back here and report.

[stumbler]

I read somewhere about the AWC 1911. In a gun magazine (Latest edition of the complete 1911 from Peterson?) Give me a couple of days.

[Jim V]

I looked in my copy of Clawson's book on military 1911/1911A1s and there is nothing about AW&C making pistols. In fact none of my reference books mention the company at all.

It could be they made small parts for WWII guns but that would be a guess on my part.

[wichaka]

Talked to the past Colt Collectors pres., no such animal. I tend to agree with Jim, possibly made small parts. Would love to see a pic, that would end all the guessing.

[Johnny Peppers]

The only Model of 1911 pistols delivered to the Ordnance Department were Colt, Springfield, and Remington-U.M.C. While there were 8 other contracts issued for the manufacture of the 1911, only the three mentioned were able to deliver completed pistols before the contracts were cancelled at the end of WWI.
American Wire & Cable was not one of the contractors.

[stumbler]

Wasn't there some where something that AWC made slides, but not the complete firearm?

[Johnny Peppers]

There exist Model of 1911 slides with an S in a flaming ordnance bomb which are thought to have been produced by the A. J. Savage Munitions Co. The slides were used as replacement slides, and as far as I know the only parts purchased and used by the Ordnance Department from the cancelled 1911 contracts. The A. J. Savage company was an offshoot of the Savage Arms Corp., and was formed with the express purpose of building small arms for WWI.

[RayP.]

I have 2 1911's with "A.J. Savage (?) slides,one is a RIA rebuild ser# range 166xxx and the other is 470xxx range with no rebuild stamps, must have been either just a slide swap out or a field rebuild.

RayP.

[RickB]

I'm sure there were companies lined up to make M1911s if the war continued into 1919. NAA and AJ Savage were further along than others. Winchester was supposed to be one of those companies, and there is even a 1911 with Winchester markings, but it's a fake. American Wire & Cable may have been one of those companies that was going to make pistols, but the war ended before anything came of it.

[Johnny Peppers]

The companies that were awarded contracts to build the 1911 pistol are well documented. Those that were awarded contracts but had their contracts cancelled before they could deliver any pistols were:

Burroughs Adding Machine Co.
Savage Arms Corp.
National Cash Register Co.
Lanston Monotype Co.
Caron Brothers
Winchester Repeating Arms
A.J. Savage Munitions Co.
North American Arms

[RickB]

Well, there you go.