Make: Remington Arms UMC Co. Inc.

Model: 1911

Serial Number: 21623

Year of Manufacture: April 1919

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Automatic Pistol with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

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

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered walnut with smooth “double diamonds” around the grip screws. The grips have moderate handling wear with scattered nicks, scuffs, and scratches. The checkering shows wear and smoothing, but is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Good Condition.

Type of Finish: Blued

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is worn, but visible. There is light to moderate erosion, and light pitting scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 5 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This handgun retains about 7% of its metal finish. Exposed surfaces have mostly worn to white or gone to a light patina. There is some finish remaining on small parts. The frame has finish remaining under the grips. There is some scattered light surface erosion with a patch of more notable erosion on the left of the slide in front of the dust cover. There are some scattered nicks and scratches. There are tool marks around the link-pin on the right of the frame. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from tool marked with strong slots to disfigured with usable slots. The markings range from clear to worn, but legible; most markings have a white paint-fill. Overall, this pistol is in about Good Condition.

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

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one original US WW1 American Pin Company “two tone” partially blued 7-round magazine.

Our Assessment: After Russia was forced out of the Great War, the United States purchased the machines of Remington-UMC’s sprawling Mosin-Nagant production facility, and set the company to producing a number of weapons, including Model 1911 pistols. The initial order placed in December 1917 was for 150,000 1911 pistols, which was soon increased to 500,000. Colt could not supply any suitable drawings, so Remington-UMC acquired several Colt production pistols, only 5 of which were fully parts-interchangeable with one another, took their own measurements with the average of the measurements used for nominal, and the variance used for tolerance, and made do; “close enough for government work” as they say. Despite the failure of Colt to be of any help, Remington-UMC was able to create their own drawings, tool up, and have pistols coming off their production line by August 1918! Production ramped up to more than 1,000 pistols per week by November 1918, on the 11th day, in the 11th hour, and at the 11th minute of which the Armistice was signed, shocking the Allied nations who were preparing for a total war that might last another 4 years or more. The US government had already let many large contracts for firearms and equipment in preparation for “Plan 1919”, the proposed offensive to break the stalemate on the Western Front, which of course never had to be put into action. That said, the US government continued to honor many of those contracts for “Plan 1919”, as the Treaty of Versailles was not signed until June 1919, and the US needed to ensure they had sufficient weaponry to resume hostilities if the Germans continued to stall. Remington-UMC 1911 production continued in fits and starts through May 1919 with a total of 21,676 pistols made before the US Ordnance Department rounded up all the tooling they had bought and emptied out the Bridgeport plant.

This US Army Post-WW1 “PLAN 1919” Remington-UMC Model 1911 Semi-Auto Pistol was made in April 1919 and is in Good Condition. It sports a 5” barrel, only 7% of its original blued finish (most surfaces have worn to white or gone to a light patina), correct features and maker/martial markings for a Remington-UMC 1911, classic two-piece checkered walnut grips with smooth “double diamonds” around the grip screws, a gorgeous US WW1 American Pin Company “two tone” partially blued 7-round mag, solid mechanics, and a gray bore with worn but visible rifling (there’s light to moderate erosion, and light pitting scattered throughout), all consistent with the use of corrosive ammunition. Remington-UMC’s 1911 production ended at S/N 21676, meaning this pistol was one of the last 50 or so ever made by the company. With numerous interesting historical angles, including the fascinating story of the Russia/Remington connection, the difficulties overcome by Remington during the early stages of production, the relative rarity of Remington pistols, and the Plan 1919 aspects of this piece, this is a great pistol for a 1911 or US martial arms collection.