1911 in 38-45

[Karl]

Greetings forum. I'm not a collector or very familiar with this model of firearm myself so the wildcat may be an abomination to those of you who are.
Just wondering since I know of a 1942-3 remington 1911 US Army pistol in this wildcat, whether it would be worth salvaging and rebarrelling to its original calibre?


Karl.

[stans]

I think it would depend upon what modifications were made. Remember, when restoring a firearm it is not truely original, so its value may be decreased. If the only modification was a new barrel, then replacing it with the correct barrel would be a low cost return to nearly original condition. If the slide has been modified with a lowered and/or flared ejection port or machined for different sights, then restoration will involve a new slide. Now it gets more expensive. If the frame was modified with something like a beavertail grip safety or flared magazine well opening, then you are pretty much out of luck.

[Johnny Peppers]

I agree that it would depend on whether other modifications were made to the pistol. The .38-.45 conversion was a simple barrel change, so if that was all that was done, the restoration would be simple.
Remington Rands made in 1942 are not easy to find, so if it is a 1942 it would be worth an extra effort to restore it.

[Karl]

Thanks very much gents. Main reason for investigating this was due to the very restrictive laws here. Pre-47 handguns are much easier to own(less paperwork), and the 1911 is an obvious choice.
I'll get more info on the firearms current status and make a decision.


Karl.

[Scott Gahimer]

Karl: BTW, the gun is a 1942 if the s/n is 916405- +/- 921700. Regardless of the s/n, if it only takes dropping in a bbl. to make it work, it's probably worth doing.