My first 1911

[Milsurp Collector]

Hi, first post here.

I picked up this Model of 1911 made in 1918 at a gun show last weekend. I have been hoping to find a Colt 1911-type USGI pistol, so when I saw it I grabbed it. It was rebuilt at Augusta Arsenal.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2hhllzt.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/dmxx85.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2ljnpep.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/160opqf.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/1omuqf.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2gwaq91.jpg

Looks like the hammer is still blued
http://i44.tinypic.com/1zoujkg.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2vuwtps.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/29yjy4m.jpg

Can't tell what inspector's mark this is:
http://i44.tinypic.com/s0wy34.jpg

1911A1 barrel?
http://i42.tinypic.com/30u5kj6.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/28tjmvs.jpg

Keyes Fibre Co. grips
http://i44.tinypic.com/mu9wr4.jpg

[Scott Gahimer]

Welcome to the board. It looks like you got a nice AA rebuild. The original final inspection appears to have been Eagle's Head over S/9.

Your pistol has a WWII production barrel that's been refinished...apparently at the same time the pistol was rebuilt. Of course the Keyes Fibre grips are WWII also. I wouldn't change a thing. It looks just like it should.

I like it, and think you did well on your first purchase. Thanks for sharing the photos. Sometimes the Parkerized finish looks a little more like a blued finish if the surface wasn't sandblasted as heavily. On the left and right side views, it looks to me as though your hammer is Parkerized...just like it should be.

[HoosierJohn]

Is it just me, or is there bare metal at the bottom of the "AA" stamp? If so, it would indicate that the finish, while not "factory original", is the finish put on by Augusta Arsenal during the rebuild. (Thanks for the lesson, Scott!!)

While pristine original pistols will always be the primary collectible USGI 45's, I think these rebuilds are very interesting in their own right, especially when they have not been messed-with after leaving the ownership of the government.

Very nice looking 1911!

[Scott Gahimer]

Welcome to the board, John. I hope to see you at Louisville in a few weeks.

I agree, the AA appears to be struck through the (re)finish and serves as the new final inspection mark applied when the pistol was rebuilt at Augusta Arsenal.

I'd just about bet the grip screw bushings are staked into place after finish on that pistol, too. Augusta Arsenal quite regularly installed and staked new bushings into their rebuilds. They were thorough and did nice work.

[TattooPaul]

Looks to be a very nice genuine Augusta rebuild. Very nice vet you have there! Well done on getting us useful photo's. Congratulations on one sharp 1911, and welcome aboard!

Normally I don't take to parked finishes on vintage 1911's. I must admit, yours looks very nice and is a top notch job and easily gets me past my parked WWI hang-up. That looks sharp, to say the least. Augusta did a great job.

[majden]

welcome Collector,

Nice fotos. Nice piece.

regards,

Maj Den

[MoneyTree]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on your new pistol !

[Grumpa72]

I like it. I want one!

Congratulations on a nice pistol.

Gary

[Milsurp Collector]

Thanks for the comments guys!

There is no history to be made shooting an old collectible military pistol. We can have just as much fun shooting an altered (refinished and/or mis-matched) non-collectible military shooter. They all shoot and feel the same. I would encourage you to pick up a shooter grade M1911A1 to run a couple boxes through each year and keep this one just like it is.


Scott, in your opinion, would my pistol fall into the "refinished non-collectible military shooter" shooter grade category that would be reasonable to shoot, since it is the only 1911-type that I have?

[kenhwind]

When I was an armorer in the USMC we were required to carry a sidearm. I found a 1911 that looked a lot like this one and carried it. It seemed to have a better feel than the 1911A1.
I like it.
Had an AA M1 from CMP it was nice.

Ken

[BruceGibson]

Very nice!

[Scott Gahimer]

Scott, in your opinion, would my pistol fall into the "refinished non-collectible military shooter" shooter grade category that would be reasonable to shoot, since it is the only 1911-type that I have?

If this were 15 years ago, the answer would be yes. But times have changed, and as with anything truly collectible, there are fewer today than there were then.

In the 1990's I didn't think that much about the arsenal rebuilds having any collectible value. There were still nice original pistols available if you were plugged in to the right people and worked at it a little.

Today, values have gotten so high on totally original pistols, that true, authentic arsenal rebuilds have become quite interesting and collectible. They will never command the same value as a totally original piece, but they are worth considerably more than what I consider a "shooter" today.

I'd hang onto this one and preserve it just the way it is. It's a great example of what many of the pistols looked like when I served in the 1970's. It got nice condition and shows it was properly cared for.

For a shooter, I'd recommend a modern clone. For about $500+ you can pick up something that has a lifetime warranty (I think). If you insist you must shoot an authentic USGI piece, go to the pound and buy the ugliest dog there. If you have to, refinish it and correct a few parts to satisfy you. Then shoot it. But I still think the $500+ modern clone route is the way to go for punching holes in paper. Why pay somebody's collector price for a non-collectible?

No. Your pistol is too nice IMO to relegate it to shooter status.