Make: Springfield Armory

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 103131

Year of Manufacture: 1914

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a blade with a serrated rear face fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a white-outlined square notch dovetailed and screw-set to the rear of the slide. Both are King's replacement sights.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut with smooth diamonds around the grip screws. The grips have even light wear. There are some compressions in the diamonds. There are a few other scattered minor marks. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Refinished. The Colt barrel is a replacement. Some other parts have been replaced including the trigger. The following parts are "s"-marked: mainspring housing, barrel bushing, grip safety, extractor, firing pin plate, disconnector.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 7 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 75% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The most notable finish loss is handling wear in the grip areas. There is some other scattered light wear. Some worn areas show discoloration and there is some scattered minor surface oxidation. There are scattered minor nicks and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to worn, but legible, most have been filled with white. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished and not parts-original.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one 7-round magazine. The body of the magazine is folded over on each side across the bottom of the lanyard-loop floorplate, indicating Springfield manufacture.

Our Assessment: The 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through two World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam wars. They gained a reputation as a reliable handgun with plenty of stopping power, and are held in high regard by those who have used them. Its design came from John Moses Browning with initial production by Colt. When the pistol was first adopted by the U.S. Army, an agreement was reached that US Arsenals could produce the pistol, but only after orders of at least 50,000 pistols had been received. The United States immediately ordered 50,000 pistols and set to work on a plan to produce the new model at Springfield Armory. Oddly, Colt actually didn’t have manufacturing drawings, so Springfield had to take 20 Colt production pistols, measure all of their parts, and average the dimensions of the 20 examples to arrive at their nominal dimensions, with the extremes of the measurements used for tolerances. Production would actually begin in 1914, but the imminent entry of the US into WWI stopped production in 1917 to focus on rifle production. A total of 25,767 Model 1911 pistols were made by Springfield.

This example was made in 1914, before the US had joined in the war. Some parts on this pistol bear the small "S" stamping while others have been replaced. The barrel is a later production Colt part and the sights have been replaced with a vintage set from King's. The pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished and not parts-original. The Springfield made 1911s are always collectible, and this would be a neat addition to a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!