Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Need help identifying an old 1911

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    5th January 2017
    Location
    Fort Payne, AL
    Posts
    2
    Posts liked by others
    0

    Need help identifying an old 1911

    I bought a collection of 1911 parts from an estate, and included in it was a frame with very little markings to identify it. The right side has a four digit serial no. but no other info, not even a "No." before the SN. The left side has two markings on the trigger guard, an upside down triangle with "Vp" inside it, and a numeral "1" above that. From what I've been able to find from internet searches the proof mark (if indeed that is what it is) indicates Colt manufacture, but the serial no. doesn't look anything like any other older Colts I've found pictures of. The font for the SN is sort of stylized and looks like older types. If indeed this is an original Colt the SN would indicate a 1912 year of mfg. I have posted pics of these markings to help identify it. The barrels in the collection of parts were all Colt, and the slides were either Colt or Remington Rand. I know who the gentleman was that this stuff came from, but don't have any info on his interests or background regarding guns. The frame has been sanded down to bare metal, as were some of the slides, leading me to believe he had planned to re-blue or park the parts but never got the opportunity.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    28th January 2005
    Location
    South Texas
    Posts
    43
    Posts liked by others
    9
    Welcome from south Texas. Sorry I can't help you, Some one will be along who can, I bet.
    " I'm your huckelberry".

  3. #3
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    Frame is off an early .38 Super. VP is the Colt "Viewed and Proofed" mark and the figure 1 may well be the assembler.

    .45 Military are No 1234, commercial are C 1234, .38 Super is the only model I know of with no prefix.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    4th June 2004
    Posts
    2,829
    Posts liked by others
    185
    Aces also don't have a prefix.

    http://www.coltautos.com/1911a1ace.htm

  5. #5
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    True. I was much surprised to see that ACE 211 on that site was drilled for a centerfire ejector. So it would not be as difficult a conversion to .45 as I thought.
    But since I know of a local case of a .38 getting a .45 upper, that seemed a lot more likely.
    Last edited by Jim Watson; 6th January 2017 at 11:28.


  6. #6
    Join Date
    5th January 2017
    Location
    Fort Payne, AL
    Posts
    2
    Posts liked by others
    0
    That fills in more of the puzzle, among the slides in the lot was a .38 super slide. So the gentleman was going to build/refinish a Colt .38 Super gun I guess. Thanks for the info, so this is most likely (or definitely) a .38 Super Colt frame.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.