Granddad's 1911

[skzjohnson]

Please forgive me if I breach customs, I'm a new registrant. I recently "found" my grandfather's 1911 Colt 45 and need some guidance, please.

I, obviously have the pistol:

Marked: United States Property
Marked: Model OF 1911 US Army
Serial : No 141940 (the o is underlined and superscript)

It also has the Automatic CAL 22 LR Conversion Unit.


I haven't found the magazine yet.

Grandpa served with the Army as a LT. He joined in Hawaii (family's from Hawaii). The pistol's in good to I'd say excellent condition, original finish and only minor wear on the grips.

Questions:

(1) How much insurance should I be placing on the pistol?
(2) How can I go about getting a listing of who was issued what pistol and when?
(3) Does the magazine usually have the serial number on it as well?
(4) What's the best method to preserve the pistol?

Thanks in advance for the advise.
Sandy

[rondawg]

(1) Considering the family history of the gun, and depending on the condition/originality of it, I'd try to get as much on it as possible. If it's in great shape and original, the value will only go up....they ain't makin' any more of 'em. Very hard for anyone to even ballpark a value here without good, sharp, detailed photos. Is it a WWI M1911, or a WWII M1911A1? If it were MY grandpa's service pistol, it would be priceless to me.

(2) Probably can't. Best you could hope for is a date of shipment/delivery to the government.

(3) Nope.

(4) Keep it clean and well-oiled. If it's a parkerized WWII model, spray the parts with CLP and let it evaporate, so the oil will soak into the finish real good, then wipe it down. Store it in a dry gun safe, use dessicant bags or a Goldenrod if you're in a humid area. DON'T store it in a leather holster, or any kind of a case that can absorb moisture and hold it, like most zippered gun "rugs" or pouches/cases. Great for transporting, not for storing. Best would be the special handgun storage boxes with the brown oilpaper stuff wrapping the gun. I can't recall who sells 'em, but there's a guy out there with any size you need, and they're cheap. Like this Colt box....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/DSCN1076.jpg

And the oilpaper stuff.....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/DSCN1077.jpg

JMHO, of course. Post up some good photos so the pros here can tell you more.

:fp:

[Mark Hitchcock]

Your pistol was in a shipment of 2000, shipped to Springfield Armory, Apr. 5, 1917. 141051-143050. Hard to say on the value w/o pics.
Mags were not serial numbered. You need a two toned, unmarked, pinned base mag.

[Hawkmoon]

Best would be the special handgun storage boxes with the brown oilpaper stuff wrapping the gun. I can't recall who sells 'em, but there's a guy out there with any size you need, and they're cheap. Like this Colt box....
Those boxes are sold by Robert's Arms Specialties, in Harper's Ferry, WV. His e-mail has changed and I don't know if the one I have is the new one or the old one, so we'll skip that and go to the phone number: (304) 728-4472. The one you want is the "Large Auto," which is the same size (maybe the same box) used by Colt for the WW1 replicas. Robert also sells the protective paper wrap in two types.

If it's working, the eb site is www.protectagun.com

He's a nice guy, easy to deal with, and I don't know of any other source for these boxes.

[skzjohnson]

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn40/skzjohnson/view1-1.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn40/skzjohnson/view2.jpg

Folks, thanks for the comments and help with proper packaging. I've posted pictures as requested. I have a few more questions.

1. How do I know if everything is stock?

2. I pulled back the slide and inside, there's a tiny screw and just above it, there are initials H. T. (in that order) Is there any significance to these initials?

Bit more history:

Granddad served in Hawaii (family's from the islands), He was discharged 5-15-1919, don't know when he went in. It does not appear he left the Islands.

3. Mark posted that the pistols shipped to the Springfield armory, April 5, 1917, are there records to show were they were shipped after that?

He also carried the pistol during WWII, as a civilian. (He was a Manager for one of the large sugar companies and was the company's liaison to the military units who moved and camped troops as well as established observation towers in the sugar fields.) I believe this is when he got the Cal. 22 conversion kit.

Again, thanks for the help.

Sandy

[Jim Watson]

1. It isn't all original. The trigger and mainspring housing are definitely 1911A1. The right grip panel may be original, the left is different and is a later type. Perhaps other stuff, I am not a collector to pick out all the different little variables. But the gun could not have been like that in 1919. Maybe refurbished for WW II.

2. MY 1911 and similar guns do not have screws in the slide. Where is yours actually located? Picture, please.

3. I dunno. Records of individual issue of guns are uncommon.

The .22 conversion with ribbed slide, slanted serrations, and cut for an Accro or Elliason sight (Wonder what happened to the rear sight itself?) is characteristic of the ones made in 1957 and later to match the Gold Cup with those features. Not a WW II era unit.