Make: Unknown, some Remington UMC Parts

Model: 1911

Serial Number: EXP27

Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1917-1926

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short, rounded blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a "U"-notch dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered double-diamond wood panels. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only a few tiny marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Fine-Excellent condition as not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Refinished

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

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 93% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There are a few spots of thinning and discoloration, most notable on the trigger. There are infrequent spots of minor erosion under the finish. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition as refinished.

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 a single 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. As in the Great War, production demands of WWII required many manufacturers to produce military equipment for the war effort. While much of the small arms production was performed by arms manufacturers, there were also contracts that went out to other firms.

As with many prolifically manufactured firearms, the 1911 world is also filled with one-offs and mysteries. Pre-production Union Switch & Signal pistols were marked with EXP-prefix serial numbers, but they were 1911A1s, with a different mainspring housing and relief-cuts behind a shorter trigger. Remington UMC shipped some 1911s to the Army without serial numbers, but they had all standard markings apart from the missing serial numbers. This pistol is something different, but we were not able to determine anything about it. The slide and frame are unmarked apart from a "D" assembler's mark on the bottom of the slide and "EXP27" marked on the left of the frame by the bottom grip screw escutcheon. The barrel and mainspring housing are Remington UMC parts, but we weren't able to identify anything else. If you're the kind of 1911 collector that loves a mystery, this is the one for you. Please see our photos and good luck!