Make: Union Switch & Signal Co.

Model: 1911-A1

Serial Number: 1083372

Year of Manufacture: 1943

Caliber: .45 ACP

Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine

Barrel Length: 5”

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade with a serrated, ramped rear face fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the slide.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic Keyes Fibre panels with reinforcement ribs on the inside. The right panel has reinforcement rings around the screw heads, the left does not. The grips have light handling wear with some light nicks and scuffs, more notable on the right panel. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good Condition as, at least partially, not original to the gun.

Type of Finish: Parkerized

Finish Originality: Arsenal Refurbished, the frame has a Springfield Armory refurbish marking on the right.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn copper fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 8 or 9 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 75% of its arsenal refurbished metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is even light wear on the slide with handling wear in the grip areas. There is some scattered minor surface oxidation. There are scattered light nicks, scuffs, and scratches with an "idiot mark" under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with usable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good Condition as Arsenal Refurbished.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired 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 blued 7-round magazine. The body shows notable finish wear with some light surface erosion.

Our Assessment: The Colt 1911 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol was designed by the legendary firearms inventor John Moses Browning, and developed for the US Army after the .38 LC revolver failed to stop charging Moro warriors in the Philippines. The US Army issued the powerful .45 to officers, NCOs, and machine gunners in both World War 1 and World War 2. As was the case at the outset of the Great War, the demand for Colt M-1911A1 pistols by the US Army at the beginning of WW2 would exceed the production capacity of Colt. This time, the US government had already planned to contract-out pistol production to other manufacturers. As the name suggests, Union Switch & Signal of Swissvale, Pennsylvania produced switches and signaling equipment for railroads. The company was founded by noted American entrepreneur and electrical engineer George Westinghouse in 1881. In 1942, US&S entered the realm of firearms manufacture when it received a government contract to produce M1911A1 pistols for the US Army. The US&S variant was a distinctive iteration of the M1911A1, with a few unique characteristics. First, none of the Union Switch & Signal 1911A1s had the Ordnance “crossed cannons” cartouche, even though the practice was standardized in late 1942. Second, it’s believed that when the drawings were originally delivered to US&S, the “P” proof mark on the slide was not included, leading to early US&S pistols up through about serial number 1060100 not having the mark at all. When this was discovered, Ordnance requested the marking be added to the pistol, but due to a poorly rendered Ordnance drawing showing the placement of the proof, guns from about serial number 1060100 to about 1082000 have the marking notably left of center where the curved part meets the flat. The later US&S pistols from about serial number 1082000 to the end of production, such as this one, have the proof marking in the same location as other makers (center in front of rear sight). Union Switch & Signal only produced 55,000 M1911A1 pistols from January to November 1943, making them the second scarcest maker of US WW2 .45s. Today, they remain highly sought after by collectors.

This US Army WW2 Union Switch & Signal M1911A1 was made in 1943 and is in Very Good Condition as arsenal refurbished by Springfield Armory (it carries their “SA” refurbish marking on the right side of the frame). It features a 5” barrel, 75% of its arsenal refurbished parkerized finish, martial markings, two-piece checkered brown plastic Keyes Fibre grips with reinforcement ribs on the inside (the right panel has reinforcement rings around the screw heads, the left does not), strong mechanics, and a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling (there’s infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn copper fouling). This would be a wonderful addition to a US military or WW2 small arms collection.