I think this turned out very well

[OD*]

I had an idea for a project gun a year or so back about finding another Colt M1911 reproduction and sending it to Bill Adair and having him make it into an arsenal refinish, something that was done quite frequently for WWII. I never did get around to doing it, but shared the idea with a good friend, he had it done to his, I think it looks sharp and is something no other kid on the block has.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb274/OD1911/Alfs1911-2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb274/OD1911/Alfs1911.jpg

Polishing, prep, etc. $162
Parkerize 50
Replace thumb-safety 40
Replace sear 12
Replace grip bushings 12
Repro grips 35
Sub-total 311
S&I 26
Total due $337
Thanks,
Bill Adair

[paul45]

Quite interesting.....It took a couple of seconds for the pics to come up on my computer, in those 2 secs, I secretly thought....Oh boy, this is gonna be ugly.......I take that thought back! That is quite nice.

[OD*]

I like it too. I still may have it done if I can find a repro that someone has "messed" with cheap. My original idea was to install an A1 trigger, grip safety, Coltrock stocks and the A1 MSH.

[okcorral1881]

My original idea was to install an A1 trigger, grip safety, Coltrock stocks and the A1 MSH.

Very nice, and yes, an arched MH would look good...to my taste!

[Hunter]

Man that does look great. I believe the price of Mr. Adair's work is very fair.
Nice looking Colt.

[garrettwc]

Cleanly done, and not something you see everyday. Good one Dan.

[azreloader]

Although it looks quite well done and is certainly unique, I'm afraid I prefer the Blued look better. A parked WW2 is one thing (and I have 3 of them in other makes) but my heart cringed when I saw it was a WW1 repro.

But, hey, that's what makes gun collecting and modifying so much fun. You get to see all kinds of things and come up with something that pleases you and that's the only thing that counts. ;)

[daveohno]

Nice gun your friend has, Dan.

I see you are still having everyone spend their money on stuff. :D You are a bad influence on peoples wallets! If I lived nearer to you, I'd be living under a bridge with a shopping cart full of guns! :eek:

[Hersh]

The Purist in me likes the "down and dirty" look. All function, no flash.

'Looks good Dano!

[Frank]

Very nice.

DVC

[littledoc]

Hmmm. Very nice!

[mtngunr]

I'm the vandal.....rather than burden OD with explanations/excuses, thought I'd pop in and explain things....

The gun was a typical 1911 repro, with sharp edges, proud rollmarks, rather shoddy grips, and a thumb safety with a wierd reduction in thickness/step-down running along the top edge....none of which bothered me overmuch as otherwise it was a very fine gun, reliable, accurate, and COLT.....and I loved the pared-down minimalist design....

But, to my dismay, a severe personality conflict developed between my body chemistry and the brushed finish blueing....no matter how careful I was to keep the gun wiped down, a few minutes of handling would greet the nose with a strong acid smell, and the gun began rusting wherever I handled it. I contacted Mark Roberts at Colt, who offered to refinish the entire gun for no charge, which was very kind.....I turned down the offer with thanks, predicting a repeat....

Which left me in a mental jam, modern steels impossible to actually heat-blue like originals, especially on the small parts, a high-polish blue not jiving with the markings, a circa-'20's blue making the gun appear stolen and refinished....then, I remembered OD's thoughts on a reissue parkerize.....and shortly thereafter, also personally saw at the range several 1911's parkerized for reissue, ranging in originality from Keyes grips and small parts swappage, all the way to 100% correct aside from finish and arsenal rebuild mark.....and with me wishing to maintain some semblance of military issue, the course became clear, and you see the result......I'm very pleased with it, still an attractive bare-bones .45 (helped greatly by the retro grips), and no more rusting problems with a modicum of care......

[daveohno]

You had nice work done on the pistol, it looks great!

[larry starling]

Looks neat, I don't think I would do it to any of my WW1 repros though..........Last time I looked you could find AA rebuild for the same price as a WW1 repro??? :)
Last gun show I was at they were selling for $995-1050 for AA rebuilds.
WW1 repros $995-1050. What does Bill charge for refinishing OD???

[Joni Lynn]

Nice, well done and unique.

[dakota1911]

I really like the finish. I wonder if an arsenal got a worn WWI in WWII and refinished it, then would they have put in the shorter trigger and arched MS housing, or would they even have worked on it?

[mtngunr]

Looks neat, I don't think I would do it to any of my WW1 repros though..........Last time I looked you could find AA rebuild for the same price as a WW1 repro??? :)
Last gun show I was at they were selling for $995-1050 for AA rebuilds.
WW1 repros $995-1050. What does Bill charge for refinishing OD???

The price breakdown is in the original post.....what you won't get with an AA rebuild is modern steel and heat treat, important when you shoot a lot of hardball.....my choice was a rusty repro or some sort of refinish.....I think it beats electroless nickel....

edited in PS-I paid (I believe) $875 for the gun a little over a year ago....

[mtngunr]

I really like the finish. I wonder if an arsenal got a worn WWI in WWII and refinished it, then would they have put in the shorter trigger and arched MS housing, or would they even have worked on it?

from my above post....
"and shortly thereafter, also personally saw at the range several 1911's parkerized for reissue, ranging in originality from Keyes grips and small parts swappage, all the way to 100% correct aside from finish and arsenal rebuild mark"

[OD*]

Nice gun your friend has, Dan.

I see you are still having everyone spend their money on stuff. :D You are a bad influence on peoples wallets! If I lived nearer to you, I'd be living under a bridge with a shopping cart full of guns! :eek:
But we would have a LOT of fun under that bridge! ;)

[OD*]

I really like the finish. I wonder if an arsenal got a worn WWI in WWII and refinished it, then would they have put in the shorter trigger and arched MS housing, or would they even have worked on it?
As Lance mentioned, you will find them in many forms, from just a park job like Lance's, to one with the A1 parts installed. ;)

[OD*]

Congratulations Lance, the pistol turned out beautifully, IMNSHO. ;)

[mtngunr]

Firstly, if you're a collector who never shoots their new Colts, just stick your fingers in your ears and chant, "nyah!nyah!nyah! I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"

I bought the gun as the trimmest 1911-type full-size shooter/carry gun on the market....a surplus gun would have sufficed but I definitely saw the advantages of modern metallurgy and the gun being new instead of well used......it already had over 2000rds through it before it went to Bill.

I'm sure "defacing" a gun as supplied by Colt rubs some folk the wrong way.....heck, I would have left it alone except for the rust problem....this just seemed, to my tastes at least, the best solution to the rust problem.

I was quite suprised, as were several respondents to this thread, on just how spiffy it turned out.....to those of you who expected the worst, but then said, "hmmmmm" when they saw it, my thanks to you for your thoughtful replies.....

Edited in- food for thought, again, I've personally handled in the last year several 1911's refinished for WWII, several of them just like mine.....just week before last, a gentleman at the range had an arsenal rework of a black army with original grips....curiously, the small parts were still in original finish....there's a great amount of latitude for "correctness" on such a job, and strangely enough, every one of them would be more "correct" than Colt's own recent effort at producing a copy of a WWII gun.....

[Hunter]

Well I used to like the Colt but now I know who owns it I am having second thoughts. :D
Where you been man?

[mtngunr]

I've been too blasted busy to play on boards, is where I've been and still am.....but I surely appreciate Dan giving the gun its five minutes of fame.....I'm sure quite a few folk have toyed with doing something like this......ditto another thread on a high polish blue.......we willing volunteers stand ready to grant you your vicarious thrill quotients without costing you a dime more than your time......besides, I had an excuse!!

[swampthang]

Nice, Ill take it!!!!!!:D

[elijdub]

I think it's great! ...Makes even more sense to so if you're not "jivin' with the finish".
My rule of thumb (which came to me recently) is to minimize modification to Colt's which are no longer in production....but a currently produced gun...Go for it!

[okcorral1881]

Firstly, if you're a collector who never shoots their new Colts, just stick your fingers in your...

Well you scared me for a second there!:D

Congrats on the gun! Nice...

[wetidlerjr]

Firstly, if you're a collector who never shoots their new Colts, just stick your fingers in your ears and chant, "nyah!nyah!nyah! I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"

I bought the gun as the trimmest 1911-type full-size shooter/carry gun on the market....a surplus gun would have sufficed but I definitely saw the advantages of modern metallurgy and the gun being new instead of well used......it already had over 2000rds through it before it went to Bill.

I'm sure "defacing" a gun as supplied by Colt rubs some folk the wrong way.....heck, I would have left it alone except for the rust problem....this just seemed, to my tastes at least, the best solution to the rust problem.

I was quite suprised, as were several respondents to this thread, on just how spiffy it turned out.....to those of you who expected the worst, but then said, "hmmmmm" when they saw it, my thanks to you for your thoughtful replies.....

Edited in- food for thought, again, I've personally handled in the last year several 1911's refinished for WWII, several of them just like mine.....just week before last, a gentleman at the range had an arsenal rework of a black army with original grips....curiously, the small parts were still in original finish....there's a great amount of latitude for "correctness" on such a job, and strangely enough, every one of them would be more "correct" than Colt's own recent effort at producing a copy of a WWII gun.....

Great pistol ! You did good ! :D

I did this to a S80 MK IV as my "Vietnam Tribute Pistol". I carried a 1911 in Vietnam and, as I recall, it was an arsenal refinish or a new one (from WWII, no new Vietnam 1911s) and I just wanted something close. It's not as good as yours but I was happy with it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v114/wetidlerjr/Colt%201911/WWIICOMM090307.jpg

[mtngunr]

Great pistol ! You did good ! :D

I did this to a S80 MK IV as my "Vietnam Tribute Pistol". I carried a 1911 in Vietnam and, as I recall, it was an arsenal refinish or a new one (from WWII, no new Vietnam 1911s) and I just wanted something close. It's not as good as yours but I was happy with it.



And I think your tribute is exceedingly handsome, also.....no curb feelers, no fuzzy dice....I've read the results of top shooters using a bone stock A1 versus various levels of enhancement versus their race guns, and transposed those results here over a year ago....the results showed they had to go to comps, sub-calibers, and red-dots to make any significant gains in times.....it's the shooter and not the equipment.....your bare-bones gun will do the job and do it with monochromatic style, and I see no difference between your gun and mine aside from small part contours and rollmarks.....I'm just blessed with scrawny enough hands that an even more minimalist 1911 works well without biting, and I know many shooters aren't so lucky....I got the 1911 repro just to reduce protrusions....the rest of the stuff like cool rollmarks were icing on the cake.....

[dogdollar]

Dan and Bill -
Those pieces speaks with understated authority.
I LOVE these kinds of pistols.
Very, very well done, I would love to own either one!!!! Or better yet, BOTH!!!
Tim

[Bud White]

Very nice i'd like one

[larry starling]

The price breakdown is in the original post.....what you won't get with an AA rebuild is modern steel and heat treat, important when you shoot a lot of hardball.....my choice was a rusty repro or some sort of refinish.....I think it beats electroless nickel....

edited in PS-I paid (I believe) $875 for the gun a little over a year ago....
I guess I never said I didn't like it, I was looking at it at a cost perspective. I guess IMHO I would rather have the real thing. I guess my WW2 Colt reproduction fits the bill for me....enjoy ;)

[mtngunr]

I guess I never said I didn't like it, I was looking at it at a cost perspective. I guess IMHO I would rather have the real thing. I guess my WW2 Colt reproduction fits the bill for me....enjoy ;)

I, too, was looking at it from a cost perspective.....my guns are not safe queens, they are shooters, and any .45 Automatic of mine is going to see a LOT of hardball run through it, and it's going to get constantly carried.....where would the cost savings be when I cracked the frame on an old collectible and then had to replace it? Had to replace worn parts where authentic would cost an arm and a leg, or seriously devalue the gun with incorrect parts?

The new Colt was bought with that in mind....the finish problem was unexpected and dealt with in the most cost-effective manner possible.....either that, or put the gun away, write off the near $900 expense, and try again.....

If cost perspective were paramount, we'd all be buying SA WWII Mil-Specs....

[larry starling]

If cost perspective were paramount, we'd all be buying SA WWII Mil-Specs....
True enough.......

[mtngunr]

True enough.......

Larry, just for the record, folks are welcome to not like the gun for some reason.....that's why we have so many varieties......hey, what I should have said at first is, "but Larry, it IS an August Arsenal gun! See the marks?"....I didn't know if you caught that on your monitor....it doesn't show well on mine...I also swapped extractors to a spring-steel pre-S80 type, also swapped the numbered/sized FP stop for a flatbottom unit, leveled the writing dimpling, desharped the slide/frame, and that's an original 1911 thumb-safety....and another economizing step not apparent is that with the parkerize bead blast, no recutting of lettering was required after slide leveling or surface prep, which definitely would have been needed had the gun been blued....

[texagun]

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I've always thought Parkerizing was one of the least attractive finishes you could put on a gun. To me, it looks like someone sprayed them with dull gray paint. I carried Parkerized .45 Autos in the military 50 years ago and never liked the finish back then. I always lusted for a nice blued .45 like the Commercial models I saw. Now I have several, among them, a Colt WWI 1911 Repro and I think the Carbona finish is close to authentic and beautiful. I personally would prefer a well-worn blued finish to a Parkerized one any day, but that's just my opinion and I know I'm in the minority. You should always modify your guns to suit your own taste.

[mtngunr]

One of the golden rules of the internet seems to be, "If you can't say anything nice, say it anyway....after all, it's your opinion, and the world holds its breath until you express it.".......if Mr. Texagun had bothered to read any of the previous posts, the entire POINT of getting it parkerized was due to a rust problem with the original finish combined with a heartfelt desire to do something about that problem while still keeping the military look.....and a high polish blue would not have looked military at all, not with the 1917 markings.....and on a practical note, this is a carry gun, and you might like the looks of blueing better, but parkerize makes a superior oil-retention finish, and does better what any coating is supposed to do, which is protect....

[texagun]

You are absolutely right. Parkerizing is a superior finish for rust and corrosion protection, as the military found out over 50 years ago. I was just expressing my fondness for the blued guns. If I had a problem with a corrosive body chemistry I would probably have all my guns Parkerized or plated. As I said, you should modify your guns to suit your own tastes. Sorry I rattled your cage.

[clughog]

Just love to look at these old pistols, see the mods folks make to them to suit their needs and preferences, and think it's wonderful that the 1911 is so versatile that you can do anything you want to them and still have a great pistol! Good job!

[mtngunr]

If I had a problem with a corrosive body chemistry I would probably have all my guns Parkerized or plated. As I said, you should modify your guns to suit your own tastes. Sorry I rattled your cage.

Quite honestly, I've never had a bit of problem with blueing until I got this one.....what rattled and continues to rattle my cage is the assumption that this is some sort of personal taste issue.....the entire point of the WWI repro is that it IS a repro....any refinish which destroyed the military authentic looks of the gun would make buying the thing in the first place an excercise in futility compared to simply buying a new S-70 and doing a bit of parts swapping if desired........as far as I'm concerned, I didn't have a choice unless I went really stupid and sent it out to Robar or somesuch......and virtually any other finish would have had the same effect as Robar, destroying any pretense of authenticity.....

[mtngunr]

Thanks, Creighton....next up, saddlebags with FRINGE!

[clughog]

Thanks, Creighton....next up, saddlebags with FRINGE!
Well, I hope you post pictures!! :p

[Phil]

......I did this to a S80 MK IV as my "Vietnam Tribute Pistol". I carried a 1911 in Vietnam and, as I recall, it was an arsenal refinish or a new one (from WWII, no new Vietnam 1911s) and I just wanted something close...Great looking pistol and very unique.

[Phil]

I'm the vandal.....Great looking gun........I like it, I like it!!!!!!!! :D

[TattooPaul]

I had an idea for a project gun a year or so back about finding another Colt M1911 reproduction and sending it to Bill Adair and having him make it into an arsenal refinish, something that was done quite frequently for WWII. I never did get around to doing it, but shared the idea with a good friend, he had it done to his, I think it looks sharp and is something no other kid on the block has.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb274/OD1911/Alfs1911-2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb274/OD1911/Alfs1911.jpg

Polishing, prep, etc. $162
Parkerize 50
Replace thumb-safety 40
Replace sear 12
Replace grip bushings 12
Repro grips 35
Sub-total 311
S&I 26
Total due $337
Thanks,
Bill Adair


Despite my adoration for the Carbonia Blue that Parked arsenal rework look is well done indeed! I like that look - you may have started something there my friend ;)

[Noah Zark]

OD* --

That's a very attractively done "arsenal refinished" 1911 clone, Bill. Well done!

I worked on hundreds of rephosphated 1911A1s and more than a few 1911s while an armorer (2111) in the Marines in the 70s and into the 80s. They would be in all states of finish and mechanical wear. Some had virtually no finish remaining, still a few looked just like your pistol.

Congrats on a well-executed project!

Noah

[OD*]

Paul, Noah...

I can't take credit for the pistol, only the idea.
The pistol belongs to my friend, mtngunr. I really like how it turned out myself.

[A.B.]

Late to this thread, congratulations to mtngunr (and OD, the muse) on a great project. Not to mention Bill's!
Thank you, guys.

[JustinTime]

Cool pistol. I'm glad you like it which is really all that matters anyway. So don't worry about the folks that don't really care for it much. I'd like it even more if it had an arched msh, short trigger and a yo-bo retro sight. It's crazy how everyone here has a tiny bit different take on what they'd do. Thanks for being the guinneu pig. Glad Dan gave you a solid idea you could get accomplished.

[mtngunr]

Thanks for all the kind words...it looks better than the photos.....but I'll reiterate that I'm not counseling folk to rush out and modify a 1-of-4000 (or 5000, as the case may be) limited production gun, not unless you have a compelling reason or have stumbled across an already-boogered gun......that way, 50-100yrs from now, your grandchild who hates guns and knows nothing about them can get REALLY ripped off by some sharpie.....(wink, sorta).....

[elijdub]

.....that way, 50-100yrs from now, your grandchild who hates guns and knows nothing about them can get REALLY ripped off by some sharpie.....(wink, sorta).....
:lm:
It's good to have a sense of humor about it all...:D!