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Thread: Saw a neat old 45 acp tonight

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master
    rockrat's Avatar
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    Saw a neat old 45 acp tonight

    Fellow joined our gun club and had brought his Great Grandfathers 1911 to the range. He said he had checked the s/n and it was made in 1914. He also had the holster and mags. It was at least 50%, but I would say it was closer to at least 60%. Told him I thought it was worth quite a nice piece of change and I didn't know if I would shoot it much if at all.

    Should have taken pics

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have a 1911, commercial model, with a four number serial number. Made in 1912 or some books show 1913. I was only shooting cast in it and keeping the pressure down so it would cycle ok.

    I retired it and bought a replacement. However, there is just something about it that is not the same as the old one. With the result my old friend keeps comming out of retirement more and more often. The onjly thing not original is the barrel bushing which cracked. It shows very little wear and the bluing is about 80%. The original holster is in good condition also.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Can't take it with us when we go. May as well enjoy them.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    bullet maker 57's Avatar
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    I have one made in 1918. I take her out a couple times a year. She shoots as well as my Springfield mil spec 45.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I have my Grandpa's and my Dad's 1911's that they bought through the NRA back when they did that. One of them is a Colt that dates back to 1918. The other is a Remington thats slightly newer. Pretty cool old pistols and fun to shoot.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    The 'US'-marked 1943 Remington-Rand I carried in 'Nam followed me home (don't ask how!!). Piece was a 'battlefield pick-up' that never made it back into anyone's records. Definitely not 100% original; rearsenaled sometime in the 1950s before being 'loaned' to the ARVN, it still retains about 90% of parkerize finish on frame and slide.

    Bill
    "I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."

    Jimmy Buffett
    "Scarlet Begonias"

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
    rockrat's Avatar
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    I have Dad's aircrew gun. A Remington-Rand that he had nickle plated as he was in the pacific theater in B-29's

  8. #8
    Boolit Master derek45's Avatar
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    3rd generation 1911 nut here.


    My Grandfather carried this 1911 in World War One.

    He passed when I was very young, but he told my Father, his son in law, to give it to me for my 18th birthday.

    ...and that every son, gets it for his 18th birthday.

    Growing up, we shot it a lot, My father taught me how to field strip and clean it.









    He also brought home a Luger

    .


    NRA LIFE Member

    USPSA/IPSC

  9. #9
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    To All,

    My dad was "in B17s" with the USAAC & brought home a Luger Carbine with shoulder-stock & holster, as a "war souvenir".

    When we were kids we thought up MANY possible dashing, "romantic" & swashbuckling explanations of how he captured the Luger & from which "high-ranking NAZI" that he most certainly took it from.
    (When I was about 17-18YO, he told me one evening on a camping trip that he traded a wind-up Westclox alarm clock & a bottle of cheap wine for it to a German SGT, who was a "returnee from the East". )


    NOT an exciting but the TRUE story.,

    yours, tex

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    My Grandad's M1911

    This was my Grandfather's issue M1911 (made in 1914) that he used throughout his service (to include carrying it on the border chasing Pancho Villa) until he passed in 1948. It then went to my dad, who subsequently gave it to me. I've shot quite a few rounds out of it, then got a Mark IV in the early 80's to retired it. I still have the original stocks, but put these on to preserve them. EdAttachment 211619Attachment 211620

  11. #11
    Boolit Master knifemaker's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	000_4594.jpg 
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ID:	211621Mine is not quite that old. As a young deputy sheriff I purchased it from from a retired sheriff's sgt. The original owner he purchased it from used it in the pistol matches at Camp Perry. It is a Colt National Match that was made by Colt when they did a lot of hand fitting of the parts. Made prior to the Colt Gold Cup coming out.
    I carried it for about 10 years as a patrol officer and it saved my bacon on one occasion when a wanted felony suspect made the mistake of pointing a rifle at me at a distance of 97 yards. Upon my retirement I had it ingraved and custom grips put on it and gave it to my oldest son who is a police Sgt. and firearms instructor as I was. It will be passed down to any grandchildren who goes into law enforcement.
    That target is 8 rounds of my duty +P 45 acp ammo that is a 185 gr. HP at 1100 FPS. 25 yard distance and still accurate after all these years.

  12. #12
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    knifemaker,

    NIFTY .45!!!! = Your photo makes me wish that I hadn't traded the one that I carried for several years as a city marshal for an engraved Model 760 Remington in .244REM.
    (I changed employment & had to carry "GI issue".)


    yours, tex

  13. #13
    Boolit Master MyFlatline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kraschenbirn View Post
    The 'US'-marked 1943 Remington-Rand I carried in 'Nam followed me home (don't ask how!!). Piece was a 'battlefield pick-up' that never made it back into anyone's records. Definitely not 100% original; rearsenaled sometime in the 1950s before being 'loaned' to the ARVN, it still retains about 90% of parkerize finish on frame and slide.

    Bill
    This one somehow fond it's way home from Korea..I shoot this one better than any other..

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Remington Rand 45.jpg 
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ID:	211681

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    Awesome thread. Thanks for sharing the pics and the stories guys.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I have one made in 1918. I shoot it a good bit, don't figure they were made to be babied..
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails MVC-001F.jpg  

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Did the magazine have the hardened feed lips of the early mags? On these you can see the blue change color down the body in a 1 1/2" or so.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Before WW2 returning soldiers were sometimes allowed to buy the issued weapon they had carried. I guess it was more cost effective for the government than refurbishing and storing a few million weapons that were no longer needed.
    IIRC Officers, and possibly non coms, could always buy their carry sidearm if they wished. If a rifle or side arm went missing the cost of it was taken out of a soldiers pay and nothing more was said.

    After WW1 huge numbers of 1903 rifles went missing from army camps and national guard armories. A member of another board posted many documents of the period dealing with stolen Springfields and rifles that had turned up at pawn shops near a army base.
    Pistols don't seem to have walked off by themselves at anywhere near the rate of long arms.

    I still have my 1918 issued flap holster. Traded off my cherry Remington Rand many years ago when an injury to my right hand made shooting any gun with a grip safety difficult.
    Back then they were still dirt cheap because they weren't really a Colt and I figured I could always find another.

  18. #18
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    Multigunner,

    Until about a decade plus ago, I bought any number of "other than Colt" 1911 pistols for 50-150.oo at the First Monday in Canton, TX.
    (Maybe a dozen or more over time.)

    Fwiw, I once bought a "CHERRY" Norwegian .45ACP SA (with 4 magazines & a cleaning kit) for 35.oo there, as NOBODY wanted that "off-brand thing". - I gave it to my cousin for his 40th birthday.
    (My cousin Randy still has it.)

    yours, tex

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy 43PU's Avatar
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    My WW1 colt has a 4 diget serial number, sadly it has been updated to WW2 specs. Serial is 309X

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    About 5-6 years ago a lady came to us to have her great uncle's pistol from the "Great War" inspected and cleaned. She wanted to learn if it would be safe to fire and had that plan in her mind. I opened the flap holster and took out what appeared to be a refinished 1911. We completed the repair ticket and I took the pistol to the bench. I removed the slide from the frame and turned the slide over to remove the barrel, then stopped. And stared. And stared again. I found I was looking at all original finish on a 1913 Colt 1911. I did a full disassembly and lube of the pistol. The quality of the parts, and their pristine condition, took my breath away as this pistol was in 97-98% original finish. The bore of the barrel looked mirror clean. It showed having been fired extremely little and no damage anywhere. When the owner came to pick it up I asked that if she ever decided to sell it I would appreciate a call. I'm still waiting (and hoping) for that call.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
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