Make: Colt

Model: M1911A1 U.S. Army

Serial Number: 721467

Year of Manufacture: 1940, shipped to Springfield Armory December 27.

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5"

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a round blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a flat-top "U"-notch sight dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut. The grips have even light handling wear with a little discoloration, mostly around the screw heads. There are a few light nicks and scuffs. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original, the slide is serial-matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is some scattered minor erosion and stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 80% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas. There is some wear at the leading edges of the slide, each side of the dust cover, and along the top-right of the slide. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation, most notable in the the grip areas. There are some minor nicks and scratches with a thin "idiot mark" under the slide stop on the left of the frame. There is a cluster of nicks on the rear of the slide at the left edge. The action shows light operational wear. The screws are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one two-tone 7-round magazine.

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. The design was the end-result of a series of developments by famous gun designer John Browning, starting with the Model 1900. The advances made by Browning were revolutionary at the time, and were so successful that they are considered commonplace today. Browning not only developed first a pivoting and then a tilting barrel to allow for a locked system, he developed the concept of “the slide”, which is now synonymous with semi-automatic handguns.

In the mid-1920s, the 1911-A1 iteration introduced the arched mainspring housing, shorter trigger, and relief cuts behind the trigger on the frame. These changes were implemented in a limited order of 10,000 pistols in 1924 and the new model was approved, but further orders weren’t placed until 1937. Initial production was limited with fewer than 2,500 made in 1937, just shy of 1,300 made in 1938, under 3,700 made in 1939, and only 4,696 made in 1940.

This M1911A1 was made in late 1940, in the last of that year's shipments to Springfield Armory. This is a fantastic example from when some interesting tweaks were still being made in production. This pistol still has full checkered walnut stocks, but Colt had begun experimenting with synthetic panels. The year 1940 also saw the introduction of Ordnance inspector initials being marked on the pistols, with Charles S. Reed's "CSR" marking on the frame in two places. Lastly, the brushed-blue finish would soon be replaced with parkerizing. With a matching slide and frame, the great majority of its original finish, a nice bore and strong mechanics, this pistol is a wonderful find for the discerning collector. Please see our photos and good luck!