Info on a Colt’s Officers Model 1911

[AnthonyB]

Fellas:
Just bought the pistol above at what I think was a very low price. The Colt website says it was manufactured in 1995; serial number is OU 01XX. This one has the royal blue frame and an engraved, bright stainless slide. I can find no reference on this engraved model.
Looking for any info on the engraved slide version, and a gunsmith who will fit a more modern one piece guide rod. I may be able to order the rod from Brownell’s and install it myself.
Thanks for any leads.
Tony

[charlie b]

The tiny 1911's can be a bit touchy about what is reliable or not.

Before replacing anything I'd shoot it and see if it works well. If it does, then don't change anything.

[Pressman]

What Charlie says, I have owned several and they all worked well, though they are a handful to shoot. I carried one for years in an ankle holster as my second/back-up gun never having any qualms that it would not function as expected. I did load al of them with a hollow point up the spout followed by a mag full of military hardball.

I wish I had another.

[AnthonyB]

Thanks for the replies. No one knows anything about the engraved slide version?
Tony

[charlie b]

Try here.

https://coltarchives.com/

Not cheap, but, you will know where the gun went when it left the factory.

[Boogieman]

I had one for years, Recoil springs don't last long less than 500 rounds. replaced stock springs with a flat wire spring and F/L guide rod problem solved. If You can field strip it for cleaning You can install it. Mine is my EDC. EGW has the kits in stock

[35remington]

My impression of these pistols is that if they were not jamming like Zeppelin they were very shortly about to. I could go into all the reasons that is so, but suffice to say a short 1911 is one of the most jam prone autoloaders extant.

Which is not exactly a secret.

I wish you well. Apply all the tricks to help the gun run reliably because it definitely needs the help.

[DougGuy]

That serial and the description says to me that might be one of the guns they made as a special run for a vendor like Lew Horton or Lipsey's. The OU would mean two words such as Officer's Ultimate or Officer's Ultra or something like that. These were likely made to compete with Kimber's Ultra Carry or a similar model offered by Colt's competition.

I had one called a "Commanding Officer" which was an Officer's slide on a Commander frame, it was a limited run made for Lew Horton.

Used to be there was a little square tab on the recoil spring plug that held it in the slide, and this square tab was prone to breaking off and the recoil springs and the plug would go flying down range. If yours still has this arrangement there are aftermarket plugs that have a flange halfway around which fixes the weak spot where the tab is but you have to machine .080" off the rear of the recoil spring tunnel to install it.

If you do use a guide rod, they are a PITB to install the rod and the springs with the Officer's slide being so short.

I never had any jamming problems with mine, they fed smoothly but I did have to polish and tune the extractor AND the end of the ejector. Short COA with these are a problem as well, the longer the COA generally the better they will feed, use the plunk test, not a bad idea to have the barrel throated then it will cycle and feed any of the popular 45 ACP boolit styles at whatever COA you choose as long as it will cycle through the magazine.

[AnthonyB]

Hoping a picture appears here....

[AnthonyB]

Can anyone identify that engraving on the Officer's Ultimate? I have had no luck so far....

[DougGuy]

Can anyone identify that engraving on the Officer's Ultimate? I have had no luck so far....

Request a letter from Colt. They made these Ultimate Officer's model in several configurations, some polished some not, some blue over stainless some stainless over blue, some were Ultimate Officer's some were Officer's Ultimate, they made a Lew Horton run of 300 pieces called the Ultimate Officer's II, the custom shop made some, etc.. I can't see in your photo well enough to determine hand cut engraving or laser etched. If it's laser etched, that may be offered on only a few pistols out of a limited run but laser etched engraving is pretty much dime a dozen.

That also appears to be a full size Commander (shorter dust cover) 1911 frame, 7rd magazine and not the shorter 6rd Officer's Model frame.

[RKJ]

I've got a standard Officers Model and the recoil spring plug break and vodka range one. I got a Clark drop in reverse plug and have not had any issues since. I wouldn't put a FLGR in mine but its your pistol.

[AnthonyB]

Guys, thanks for the replies. Looks like a letter from Colt is the next step.
Tony

[charlie b]

The link I posted above has all the info for one. Along with price lists.

[AnthonyB]

Thanks, Charlie. I am trying to learn what I can without paying the $100 research fee to Colt. But Colt appears to be my final option.

[charlie b]

If you look, it will be $100 more to research factory engraved models.