Help Please, what does "A" stamp mean?

[Joker]

I'm looking at a combat commander with a misaligned "A" in the prefix prior to the serial number...Does anyone know what the "A" means? Is it a replacement frame or something?

Jerry

[Joker]

Father in law is battling cancer and has always wanted a Combat Commander...just want to make sure that the "A" prefix doesn't suggest a problem.....will call Colt on Monday, but I was wondering if anyone else might know the answer. I'm not buying it for him as a collectors piece, but it does have me curious. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Jerry

[Hill]

Can you provide a photo, or at least the entire serial number? I'm not aware of an "A" prefix ever being used but if one ever WAS used by Colt you're in the right place to figure it out.

[Joker]

Sorry I don't have a picture. I guess a fellow member "Hacker" had the same issue so I emailed him. He said that the only thing Colt could tell him was the misaligned "A" meant they must have thought the serial number was a duplicate. I'm guessing it's either that or the frame was sent to Colt and they replaced it (and used the "A" to show that it was a replacement of the same serial number).

[R-W]

Joker,
I have one of the "A" designated Combat Commanders. Mine was manufactured in 1982. I've heard lots of stories/ideas about the "A" prefix but nothing solid as of yet. I'd love to know the history of the A designation.

FYI... Colt could not find the manufacture date of mine until they ommited the "A" and started with 80BSetc.

RW

[Joker]

Hopefully I can get a solid answer from Colt or a Colt historian about it and I'll definately share the info (whether it's correct or not will be another story).

Jerry

[Hacker]

I'm definitely interested to hear if anything more official comes back from Colt on the issue.

A-prefix Commander owners, unite!

[Joker]

My Combat Commander was made in "82" also. Customer service couldn't give me any info on the misaligned "A", but I have a call in to the historian and I left a message with a gun apraiser to see if he knows.

Jerry

[R-W]

Jerry,

Yours is an 82 also? Thanks for being a detective with Colt.

Hacker, what year is yours???

Maybe one or more of our Mentor - Gurus here can solve the puzzle of the "A" prefix.
Help us out oh 1911 Obiwans, us new guys need the guidance of the "A".

RW

[Joker]

RW,

I asked Tim Alley on gun-appraisals.com (I guess he's a gun appraiser and gunsmith). According to him the "A" means that it's a duplicate serial number. He has nothing to back that statement up with (so it doesn't mean much). Will let you know if I hear anything from the Colt historian.

Jerry

[R-W]

Joker,

Thanks for the info., much appreciated. I had not heard this from anyone else.

RW