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Thread: Questions Regarding 1944 Remington Rand

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  1. #1
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    Questions Regarding 1944 Remington Rand

    Good evening, folks. I've been a 1911/1911A1 enthusiast for a number of years now, with a particular fondness for USGI pistols. I've owned both Inland Manafacturing and Springfield copies (thinking this would satisfy my cravings), but I guess I just had to have the real McCoy.

    I did quite a bit of looking on Gun Broker and finally came across this 1944 Remington Rand (Type 3), which suited my taste and budget. I realize the grips are mismatched (the right had circles around the mounting screws and the left does not), and the mag release and slide stop/thumb safety appear to be a darker blue, not matching the wear on the frame/slide. I've seen a few RRs on Google Images that have a blue/black finish on the smaller parts, but nothing quite this pronounced.

    Do you think I did okay at $1,700? I saw a couple Remington Rands and a Colt 1911A1 at the gun show today (1,800 and $2,200, respectively), but the parkerized finish was so pristine that I was certain they'd been refinished. I really wanted a gun with some character and that showed some honest wear, as long as there wasn't any substantial rust or pitting.
    Last edited by Pro Libertate; 23rd May 2021 at 22:31. Reason: Added photos.


  2. #2
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    Welcome to the forum.

    Difficult to determine much from the photos. The slide stop with that style serrations appeared later; 1949+. The dark black finish of some other parts also appears later. The bottom edge of the slide on the LHS appears rounded slightly indicating buffing/refinishing. The blotchy appearance of the slide also indicates refinish.

  3. #3
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    Thanks for your input, Doran-- I sure appreciate it.

    As far as some of the smaller parts are concerned... could they have been done by the arsenal, or it more likely they were replaced by the previous owner? If it were your gun, would you deem it worth the trouble and expense of finding period correct parts to replace these? I'd imagine the polishing of the slide detracts from the value of the gun; how significantly, in your opinion? I hate to see these guns altered from their original state, but I guess I'd rather have one that was polished by an overzealous person than completely reblued/reparkerized; I probably ought to be thankful it wasn't polished to a mirror shine! I suppose I purchased the pistol more for its historical (not monetary) value, so I'm not really concerned about what it'll fetch in the collector's market, but nobody wants to feel they got taken to the cleaners, right? It'd be nice to know I didn't overpay by too much. I'm a photographer by trade, so I'll take some better photographs when I have the gun in my possession.
    Last edited by Pro Libertate; 24th May 2021 at 09:01.


  4. #4
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    The small parts available inside and outside Govt channels so hard to determine when replaced. Generally, a refinished/non Govt rebuild worth half to two thirds an original finish pistol.

  5. #5
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    Here are a couple photos I took with my DSLR yesterday. I posted these photos on another forum, and the general consensus seems to be that the finish is original, albeit rubbed to a high sheen. I've determined that all parts are period correct, with the exception of the slide stop (which is a post war item).

    RR.jpgRR2.jpg
    Last edited by Pro Libertate; 29th May 2021 at 21:43.


  6. #6
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    Finish looks "better" in these photos but heavily worked over with something like steel wool. Normally I don't recommend replacing parts but I think a correct slide stop, 50-70% finish, would improve your pistol and not cost much money.

  7. #7
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    Thanks for your assessment, Doran. While having an unadulterated pistol would certainly have been my preference, one with a rubbed finish seems -to my mind, at least- to be less of a bastardization than a total reblue, though I realize that -from a collector standpoint- it negatively affects the value in much the same way.

    I purchased the period correct slide stop from a gentleman on the 1911 Forum for $60 shipped, though it's probably more like 85%-90% finish. I had my choice between that or one with about 40% finish and three small dots (looked like pilot holes) on its face that were done during a hardness test, and so I opted for the former.

    I also purchased a set of Keyes grips that I felt would match the distressed look of the pistol; the ones are there are from the arsenal rebuild program of the 70s/80s.

    20210528_132108 (1).jpg

    Screenshot_20210530-060909_Samsung Internet.jpg
    Last edited by Pro Libertate; 30th May 2021 at 08:22.


  8. #8
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    I think you chose well on the slide stop and grips; appear to somewhat match the rest of the pistol. Please post photos when you have them installed.

  9. #9
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    Thanks for saying so, Doran. I got the new slide stop and Keyes grips installed last night.

    RR&Lighter.jpgRR&Lighter2.jpg

  10. #10
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    I think that looks much better.

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