Okay, I took a flyer on this RIA rework...

[deadmarsh]

and thought I'd like to get your comments on this Colt...

I have a thick skin, so fire away if you thought I overpaid or whatever...

I have a three day inspection, so I'll check for the normal stress fractures and such...

Cost was $850.00 + $20.00 ship...

Sold an Anschutz .22LR and had some excess funds and where better to stick that than into another wargun... ;)

Here's a few pictures also:


http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/pix2681971549.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/pix2681970752-1.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/194.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/193.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/191.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/JWDeadmarsh/192.jpg


I'll answer other questions once I get the Colt on my workbench...


Thanks in advance:


Dead

[Mark Hitchcock]

Looks to be a 1918 production with an earlier Colt slide, 1913-1916 and 1911 a1 grips, but it's an Arsenal rebuild, so that's OK too. Nice looking rebuild. Congrats

[pa_guns]

Hi

Nice pistol!!

Bob

[OD*]

Looks like the left stock panel has been relieved for the M1914 slide stop?

[deadmarsh]

Looks like the left stock panel has been relieved for the M1914 slide stop?

I saw that too, OD...maybe done at RIA???

Or someone replaced original wood???

To me that's not a problem, but it certainly is curious -- dang, if these guns could just talk... :D :D


Dead

[bgiven]

Looks to be a 1918 production with an earlier Colt slide, 1913-1916 and 1911 a1 grips, but it's an Arsenal rebuild, so that's OK too. Nice looking rebuild. Congrats


1913-16 slides had Roman letters.... this slide is 1917 (178-180,000) to early 1918 (275-290,000) with Gothic letters.

I doubt that RIA would be doing any relief cuts for a M/1914 contract slide stop.

Bob

[pa_guns]

1913-16 slides had Roman letters.... this slide is 1917 (178-180,000) to early 1918 (275-290,000) with Gothic letters.

I doubt that RIA would be doing any relief cuts for a M/1914 contract slide stop.

Bob

Hi

Going to be tough to bump that back by a couple years.

Bob

[exitwounds]

By the RIA (Rock Island Arsenal) markings, it bares the initials FK (Frank Krack), that tells you the pistol was refurbished between SEP '41 - JUL '46 when he worked there. During that period all small arms inspected under his supervision would be stamped with his initials "FK" as well as those of the Rock Island Arsenal "RIA". The "flaming bomb" stamp just below the sn# generally indicates that pistols marked that way were all original and had not been reworked, but merely cleaned, sometimes refinished, function tested, and sent off. At least that seems to be the consensus amongst many collector's. The location of the Rampant Colt tells me the slide was replaced though, there use ended in mid 1918 about the 285000 serial range. The grips likely came from another source other than RIA or were modified by Andy the Hometown Armorer. If the grips and slide were replaced at RIA, which would not be uncommon for a rebuild, it kind of shoots the "flaming bomb" theory in the foot.

[OD*]

The "flaming bomb" stamp just below the sn# generally indicates that pistols marked that way were all original and had not been reworked, but merely cleaned, sometimes refinished, function tested, and sent off.
You don't think the slide was replaced with the refurb then Hans?

[exitwounds]

You don't think the slide was replaced with the refurb then Bob?

Yes I think the slide was replaced I was in the process of reviewing my thread, in which you must have viewed in the small window of time before I added to the thread.

[exitwounds]

The location of the Rampant Colt tells me the slide was replaced though, there use ended in mid 1918 about the 285000 serial range. If the grips and slide were replaced at RIA, which would not be uncommon for a rebuild, it kind of shoots the "flaming bomb" theory in the foot.

You"ll see the revision here.

[OD*]

Gotcha, thank you. ;)