Nice forum you have here!

I just bought a house on a corner lot and was about to purchase a new pistol for home protection. My Grandad called me saying he's give me his .45 and didn't want me to blowing $700+ dollars on a new pistol.

I haven't really looked into firearms seeing how I’ve been so busy in the last three years after getting out of the service so I’m out of the loop when it comes to weapons.

Anyway, we went into the garage so I could help him find his old 7.62 ammo box full of old original 1911 parts acquired from the military during the Korean war era. Tons of parts to make over the pistol five times over.

He then takes me into his gun room to find said pistol and gives it to me.

Long story short, the pistol seems to be in damn good condition with slight bluing loss on the grip safety. The left portion of the slide reads as follows:

patented apr 20, 1897. sept 9, 1902 (PONY) COLT'S PT.F.A.MFG. CO
dec 19, 1905. feb 14, 1911. aug. 19, 1913 (PONY) HARTFORD, CT. USA

the right reads as follows:
ESSEX ARMS CORPS
ISLAND POND, VT.
XXXX

That's all I have! If you need pictures I can post them.

Thanks, Eric

Eric: Essex never actually produced or provided receivers for the U.S. military. From your description, it sounds like the pistol has a commercial aftermarket receiver and possibly a Colt produced military slide.
While not having collector value as a military pistol might, I think Essex generally made some pretty decent aftermarket receivers and the pistol may be fine for it's intended purpose of home defense.
Congrats on the gift of the pistol.

Thanks you Scott.

A friend of my mine familiar with 1911's just gave me the same news.

So how do I make this a top notch weapon that's more orignal? Where can I find Colt lower receivers?

My friend was telling me about argentine Colts... what options do I have?

Should I just leave the weapon "as is"???

thanks again.

I would do a thorough functions test on the pistol. Provided everything seems to work properly, then I'd test fire it for accuracy and reliability. If it checks out okay in those areas, I'd say you've got youself a good home defense weapon with some sentimental value as well.
I would not worry about originality of this piece. The receiver is what constitutes a gun, and this receiver is aftermarket. A new receiver means a different gun. I'd leave this one as is and simply decide whether or not it fits the bill for your needs. Just my opinion.
Good luck, and BTW, welcome to the forum.

Leave it as is. If it works fine, change nothing, if it malfunctions, post over in the gunsmithing/trouble shooting section. Finding a military issue receiver is going to be next to impossible these days.

Your grandfather sounds like a special guy...I'd have it detail-stripped and cleaned...checked out for function/safety devices...maybe replace the springs...and leave it be. Don't even refinish it. Those character marks will mean something to you one day...I promise.

Shoot it very little, and pass it on to your son.

If you want to sell a few of the spare parts...PLEASE let me know. I wouldn't sell'em all, though. I'll make you a fair offer if you'll compile a list of what you have, and what you want to sell.

Luck!

Tuner

EDIT:

Hold the phone! Essex Arms??? I didn't read it carefully. What are the first 4 digits of the serial number? Don't list'em all...at least not in public.

Where's the serial# located on the lower receiver? Is it the 4digit number on the right side of the frame just above the grips? If so then it's 2XX5.

Howdy Salty,

Sorry I didn't get back sooner...I had one on the bench that had to be done today.

Scott nailed it...Essex never produced parts for US Government contracts.
It sounds like somebody...likely your grandfather...mated a GI slide and an Essex receiver. I have two USGI frames that are wearing Essex slides that I use for range beaters.

Essex Arms was/is an aftermarket supplier of frames and slides for various
1911 clones, including Thompson Auto Ordnance. The frames and slides are
investment castings, and until recently, quality was spotty as to specs and
hole locations and other dimemesions. The part that threw me was when you
said that Essex Arms was on one side of the slide and Colt's patent numbers were on the other.

Other than sentimental reasons...and for me, that would mean a lot...the gun doesn't have any collector value. It's a shooter. I wouldn't put it to heavy use, since the frame is a casting, and it won't tolerate 50,000 rounds. It
should hold up to moderate use, though, as long as you change the recoil spring about every 2,000 rounds or so. If the gun is functionally reliable, it
would make for a good defensive/carry piece.

I got your PM, and the serial number suggests that the frame was cast in the
early to mid-80s...I don't have a number list for Essex, so that's a guess. You
can call Gary Whipple at Essex and ask him for an exact date of manufacture.
Just search for Essex Arms to get to their web page and phone numbers.

Just for security reasons...Never provide a complete serial number to any stranger on the intrernet...PM or otherwise. I'm one of the good guys, but I might not have been. Easy for an unscrupulous character to turn in the number as stolen, and wait for a few weeks to notify the police of his
"discovery" that some guy on a gun forum has his pistol. You can get the information that you need from the first 4 numbers, and you won't become the victim of a scam artist.

Luck!

Tuner

Seeing how i already have a quality slide and enough parts to makeover the pistol 5 times from original 1911 parts my grandfather "aquired" from the service.

How can I get a colt frame to make it more of a quality pistol that will last longer than the essex frame? Of course i'll keep everything my grandfather gave me for personal reasons but would like to have a quaility pistol for the time being.

thanks again, eric.<--- learning again.

Also... if/when i do that, can I add aftermarket match barrels etc?

An original GI frame is generally the toughest part to find. You may even have to resort to buying an entire pistol that is in rough shape just to get a frame to work with.
A lot of people looking to do the same thing...so it won't be easy. Good luck.
Most barrels will just drop in if they are GI spec., but some match barrels may require some fitting to work.
Good luck.