WTK: Colt 1911 WWI Black Gun

[PT-Partners]

I recently obtained from my last year effort of retailing (the reason I do the extra job to pay for my "toys") what I was told is a Colt 1911 Black Finish or Black Gun. Serial number on is it 26450X. I think manufacture around 1919. Finish is similar to the Colt WWI Reproduction only looks brushed of buffed before bluing. The lettering looks good and the

I know the grips are off of a Colt Reproduction.

I did a quick search and found little but I figure I really did not know what to look for.

If any of you have a information or a link for me to look to please let me know.

http://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/ColtWWI-1.JPGhttp://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/ColtWWI-2.JPG


Here are two pictures to show what I mean by brushed finish.

Thanks for any information

Be safe and keep the brass flying

Terry Peters

Do your research but you get what you pay for front end or back end.

[bigredc]

Nice gun. Check out this site. http://www.coolgunsite.com/

[bgiven]

I believe your serial number is 1918 production. The 'Black Army' production started later on at about serial number 350,XXX.

[Hawkmoon]

Finish is similar to the Colt WWI Reproduction only looks brushed of buffed before bluing.
The Colt WW1 reproduction pistols have a brushed finish, not high polish. Only the very early M1911s were done in a high polish. The Ordnance Department decided early on that a less polished finish meant less glare.

[PT-Partners]

This is not a Colt Repro finish. I have several of those as I use them as base pieces for my custom gun project with many of the smiths listed here. Every one of the repro's have a WMK number and slightly different type of lettering.

I will try to get a better picture showing the finish. It may have been refinished for all I know but I sure like it.

[bigredc]

I was recently checking out Doug Turbull site. He restores guns specializing in M 1911. You gun looks like the guns I saw on his web sit. It looks like a beautiful restoration. http://www.turnbullrestoration.com/

[bgiven]

I will try to get a better picture showing the finish. It may have been refinished for all I know but I sure like it.

A better set of pictures will certainly clear this up. It appears that it could be restored based on your small pictures, and me squinting..... :confused:

[pa_guns]

Hi

Without close up pictures it's tough to tell a whole lot, except that it's a beautiful pistol.

It's very hard to find a 90 year old weapon with a perfect finish on it. Time and moisture from the grips will have *some* impact. If the finish is as good as it looks I would suspect it's been re-finished.

That's not always a bad thing. You never know what the pistol looked like before the process was done :D :D

Bob

[PT-Partners]

I got a bit of time after shift last nite during "decompression" time and took a few pictures. I am trying to keep the pictures under the allows size but learning my camera more each time.

http://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-1.JPG
http://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-2.JPGhttp://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-3.JPG
http://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-4.JPGhttp://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-5.JPG
http://www.pt-partners.com/general/images/WWI-6.JPG

See if these are better.

Thanks for the comments so far. From what little I know the slide is correct due to the location of the horse. I think the grips are from one of the Colt WWI reproductions. The guy I got if from also thought so. The grips look like the very first Colt Repros (i.e. WMK10XX) not the current ones. The origin, is retained as a matter of respect for now. It was in a friend's safe for quite a few years before passing.

It sure looks like a "Turnbull" restoration and the detail in it down to the slide stop and pins would probably make it so. Maybe Colt got the idea from "Turnbull" to use what he uses on his restorations.

I suspect refinish but I am still thrilled by it. And it is a "keeper" for sure. :D

And again, thanks for the help.

[bgiven]

Rampant Colt location on the slide is not the only criteria for correctness.... Roll marks, especially letter fonts have to match..... Roman letters with the same, and Gothic letters etc.... The easiest tell tale has always been the 'USP' letters on the frame, and the Patent/Date letters right above on the slide. Serifed Roman letters, and Gothis block letters are pretty easy to differenciate.

Additionally, Colt changed the design profile of the recoil housing on the slide mid-1918 which can throw a wrench into slide to frame matches as well. See Clawson.

[Bladeandbarrel]

does the s/n under the fpin stop match the frame?

[bgiven]

does the s/n under the fpin stop match the frame?


This was only done by Colt on WWII M1911A1s from serial number 710,000 (1937) to approx. 1,145,XXX (1943).

[pa_guns]

Hi

I'm sure that there are some WWI's out there in absolutely 100% perfect shape. Any time I see a real nice pistol I wonder a bit, I see nothing on your pistol that would tell me it's definitely refinished.

Bob

[OD*]

It sure looks like a "Turnbull" restoration and the detail in it down to the slide stop and pins would probably make it so. Maybe Colt got the idea from "Turnbull" to use what he uses on his restorations.

I suspect refinish but I am still thrilled by it. And it is a "keeper" for sure. :D

And again, thanks for the help.
You might send an e-mail to Bill Adair containing the pictures, it could be one of his restorations also.

BILL.ADAIR2@VERIZON.NET

[bigredc]

I had my camera a couple years before I found the micro setting. I think most newer camera's have it. Makes a huge difference on close ups. No flash. I use soft ware to resize my pictures. It's free and works great. It's called (IrfanView)

[PT-Partners]

I tried what the one poster (bigredc) said on the camera. I found a Micro Setting for Close Ups.

I replaced the pictures I had there that may and tried a softer light instead of the flash.

If any of you can tell anything with the better pictures it would be greatly appreciated.

[bgiven]

Rampant Colt location on the slide is not the only criteria for correctness.... Roll marks, especially letter fonts have to match..... Roman letters with the same, and Gothic letters etc.... The easiest tell tale has always been the 'USP' letters on the frame, and the Patent/Date letters right above on the slide. Serifed Roman letters, and Gothis block letters are pretty easy to differenciate.

Additionally, Colt changed the design profile of the recoil housing on the slide mid-1918 which can throw a wrench into slide to frame matches as well. See Clawson.


Your latest picture addition shows the Roman (serifed) letters on the slide, and Gothic (block) letters on the frame. They would not be original to each other.