NEW MEMBER 1st 1911 purchase

[flush130]

Greetings. Quite a site you folks have here. As a proud owner of my first newly aquired 1911, you can imagine the questions I have! I was up all night absorbing all I could, but couldn't find anything regarding a question about barrel stampings found on my new aquisition. The serial # is 447722 which I gather makes it a 1918 production model. A lot of the engraving in regard to patent #'s, etc. is very worn and the prancing colt appears at the rear of the slide on the left side. The stamping of Property of US Gov't is almost completely obliterated with only portions of some letters visable with only a magnifying glass. The grips are not correct either. I'm also assuming this particular model has been refinished. Either way, at $600 I figured I didn't go wrong. If any of you folks could help me out here with some feedback, I'd be extremely grateful. Thanks much.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c275/gregbinder130/1911016.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c275/gregbinder130/1911018.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c275/gregbinder130/1911017.jpg

[exitwounds]

It is hard to see clearly but your barrel appears to have British Proof Marks, the barrel is most likely from a lend lease weapon. The slide is also a Colt commercial/military slide used around May/June of 1918. The grips may be full checkered Colt grips,which would have 28 +/- rows of checkering between the screw holes. Not a bad refinishing job, and I think you did OK at $600.

[stans]

Looks like a shooter with a little history to go with it. I agree, not bad for $600.

[Sandman1967]

Welcome to the forum flush130!
Good looking gun, and good price!
Have fun shooting. :D

[flush130]

Thanks much for the replies guys. Now I'm getting a little curious as to value. I did purchase this as a shooter and still have every intention of using it for such, but with the possibility of it's having some history, any thoughts of a ballpark figure on value? As I stated in my first post, I'm sure it's been refinished and the grips are not correct. Other than that, it appears all else matches. Thanks again.
Greg

[southriv]

There was a bit more on the commercial/military slides on a previous thread.

http://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=7482

Doran has a good pic of one of these slides posted. I've seen two others.


Bob

[Joni Lynn]

Nice 1911. Most of us can testify that you can never be satisfied with just one.