Is This Marking Correct

[Vettepartz]

The 1911 I am looking at for possible purchase has a serial of 314XXX which equates to a late 1918 date. Everything looks correct, except that the stamp just above the mag release button is the botom half of the eagle head with "S17" under it indicating Springfield armory I think. The BA bluing is real good, but all edges are smooth looking like a polished and re-blued gun. Also has the wrong barrel. My question is: did the Springfield armory make any guns within that serial number range? I do not have the gun to show any pictures. "United States Property" and the serial # are both on the right hand side.

[Hawkmoon]

The BA bluing is real good, ...
"BA" ????

Translation please ...

[rekladan]

Maybe "AB"? For armory blue?

[bgiven]

My question is: did the Springfield armory make any guns within that serial number range?

No. Springfield inspection division marks, and Springfield Armory produced M1911s are two entirely different things.

[wjkuleck]

"BA"=Black Army

It's a collectors' term for the finish applied to late-war M1911s.

Regards,

Walt

[wjkuleck]

"BA"=Black Army

It's a collectors' term for the finish applied to late-war M1911s.

Regards,

Walt
The Eagle's Head/S17 was applied at the Colt factory by a government inspector. Each inspector had his own stamp with its unique code, which he was to keep with him at all times so that no other person could use it. The identity of the individuals who had these stamps is unknown.

Thus the stamp is an Army Acceptance stamp, unrelated to Springfield Armory.

Regards,

Walt

[Vettepartz]

My apologies, I should have said "Black Army" instead of "BA". I myself am not a fan of this world of acronyms, but sometimes get caught up in it myself.

Thanks for clearing up the Springfield differences. The top half of the eagles head is completely gone, while the bottom is deep and clearly there. I think this is from a polishing job done before a re-blue. In other words, it is not tapered from shallow to deep like a stamp being used at a slight tilt.

Since this gun has the wrong barrel and wrong magazine and a re-blue, I think I will pass as he is asking full collector price.

[wjkuleck]

Since this gun has the wrong barrel and wrong magazine and a re-blue, I think I will pass as he is asking full collector price.

Since I wouldn't offer more than half "full collector price" for the pistol as described, passing is a quite rational decision ;) .

Regards,

Walt

[Scott Gahimer]

"United States Property" and the serial # are both on the right hand side.

If that is true, then the USP marking, the serial number...or BOTH have been altered. If the serial number has been altered, the pistol is illegal to even possess.

The USP marking was on the left side of the pistols until about s/n 510,000. There is an overlap because the pistols were not numbered, completed or shipped in strict numerical order then. But believe me, that overlap would not extend all the way down into the 314000 serial range.

[Vettepartz]

Whoops - That was a mistake on my part. The serial number is 514XXX and not 314XXX. Thank you for that catch, Scott.