1911 serial no. 4650 restore

[etnuke65kav]

Recently came into two 1911's, one numbered 4650, the other 451415, and I am in the middle of restoring them. I have managed to get the finish off, and now have two bare metal guns (the finish that was there was nearly worn off, and there was a considerable amount of rusting, so i chose to scrap the old finish and save them from corrossion). These are my first guns that I am doing a full restoration on, as far as stripping and conditioning and recoating. I plan on parkerizing both, but have some questions regarding bead blasting. Is it required to blast the guns in order to get a professional looking finish, right now the pistols gleam, no tarnish or pitting or rust left at all, and no finish left either. And if bead blasting is necessary, where's a good place to look for a quote. Thanks in advance

[Scott Gahimer]

Well...honestly, it would have possibly been better to have asked before removing the remaining finish from the s/n 4650 pistol, even in the condition you describe.

Colt M1911 s/n 4650 was a 1912 pistol shipped to the U.S. Navy. If the poor finish was still original, it may have been a better financial decision to have left the pistol alone. That said, I understand your decision to restore the pistol.

Your questions regarding beadblasting and specific techniques of refinishing are probably better asked in the gunsmithing section of the board. However, before you can possibly find the answers you seek, you need to know what your 1912 Navy looked like when original. And I would recommend taking the time to find a qualified gunsmith who can either do the work for you, or advise you with correct information to get the results you seek. I am not a gunsmith, so I'll leave the gunsmithing to those that are.

However, I do know what our pistol looked like when original. Here is a photo of Colt M1911 s/n 4415. Some things changed at s/n 4500, and perhaps others will post images of a 1912 Navy in the same serial range as your pistol.

The original finish was what Colt's called a "fine" or "dull" finish. By today's standards, this finish as anything but dull. However, compared to the first 2400 pistols with the mirror-bright "oil" finish and fire blued small parts, these pistols were a big step down as far as finish is concerned.

http://i44.tinypic.com/30c4sc1.jpg

Please don't duplicate your thread in the Gunsmithing area, as that violates the rules. But as soon as your thread runs it's course here, and you are provided all the information pertaining to what your pistol should look like...maybe we'll then move your thread over into the Gunsmithing area to get specific answers to the gunsmithing questions.

Please share some photos of your pistols, so we can see where you are starting. We might be able to make some recommendations concerning proper parts that will save you money and trouble later.

[etnuke65kav]

Thanks for the reply. I know a lot of people would have recommended to not change the pistol(s) at all, for the reasons you stated, but I didn't want to see them in any worse condition then they already were. It took a lot before I decided to start this process, believe me, but I decided the work would make them last longer so they could keep on living. As far as financial stuff, I would never dream of selling these guns to a living soul, they were my grandfathers, and I don't intend on having them leave my family.

As for the guns, and pictures, I will post some later today. One more question I have is what can I do to try and replicate the finish from the original manufacturing process? Even though I decided to refurb these, I do want to try and keep them as close to "original" as possible. Thanks again

[OD*]

Have to agree with Scott, I wouldn't refinish a original pistol unless it had been messed with, which it has been now (and I mean no offence by that).

I have a 1913 that had it's US Property and serial number markings removed and re-blued, I had Bill Adair restore it.

Before;
http://mysite.verizon.net/od45/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/1913gi.jpg

After;
http://mysite.verizon.net/od45/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/M1911sideI.jpg.w560h377.jpg

[Scott Gahimer]

...One more question I have is what can I do to try and replicate the finish from the original manufacturing process? Even though I decided to refurb these, I do want to try and keep them as close to "original" as possible. Thanks again

I don't think there is anything you personally can do, except to insure the pistol(s) are properly restored by a competent skilled craftsman.

Colt's oven-blued their pistols, which was a rather involved process and required skill and care.

OD*'s pistol is a excellent example of a proper restoration by a skilled craftsman. I'm sorry to say, however, that Bill Adair is no longer accepting work and has closed his shop, due to health reasons.

It is so critical in a proper restoration to get the surface preparation right. If the grit is wrong, the sheen will be wrong. If the polishing patterns are not correct, the finish might be the right color...but the pistol won't have the right appearance.

Gunsmithing 101 is not enough for most people to replicate the appearance of an early Colt. Many so-called restoration gunsmiths over-restore to the point the pistols just don't look right.

I, too, would recommend finding the right fellow to restore your pistol(s). When appropriate, doing nothing is best. However, we're past that point of decision.

At this point, the only thing worse than doing nothing is to do something wrong.

Take some time to learn as much as you can about original pistols and their features and appearance. Be prepared enough to know what a proper restoration should look like before starting one. Thoroughly check out the references of anyone you might hire, and insist on seeing several examples of their work before moving forward with them.

It is the details that distinguish a true restoration from an overpriced refinish. The restoration gunsmith you select should already know those details ad have already been implementing them in his restorations. Ideally, you don't want him learning on your pistol(s). Experience counts.

Bill Adair is a master at restoring markings and maintaining the straight lines and various contours of an M1911 pistol. I am not aware of anyone as skilled in restoring the proper appearance to those pistols that need it.