Make: Colt
Model: 1911-A1
Serial Number: 1102911
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, serrated ramped blade fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece aftermarket checkered brown plastic with reinforcement rings around the grip screws and reinforcement ribs on the interior. The grips have no notable wear or damage, only light handling marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Excellent condition as not original to the gun.
Type of Finish: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original, the slide is serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and scattered stubborn fouling in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 95% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most corners and some edges. The balance is mostly in light operational wear. There are a few scattered light marks including a thin "idiot mark" below the slide stop on the left of the frame. The screw heads are lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear. The slide legend and US Property markings were struck with damaged dies, found on some other examples in this serial range. The Ordnance Wheel is incomplete, as is common, but is struck through the finish. Overall, this pistol is in Fine condition.
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 7-round Risdon 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.
This example was produced by Colt in 1943 as the design saw some tweaks and changes. This pistol was made after the switch to parkerized finishing. It has the later-style ramped front sight which replaced the earlier rounded blade and a square notch rear sight which replaced the "U"-notches. The hammer has the original wide-spur which would soon be replaced by a spur of the same width as the body. The slide stop and thumb safety are checkered, each of which would eventually be serrated. The grips have been replaced with aftermarket panels, but they retain the overall appearance of WWII-era stocks. In all, this is a great example of a 1943 production Colt M1911A1. It was produced when the slides were still serialized, so it's nice for the collectors to know that the slide is original to the frame. The pistol is in Fine condition, retaining about 95% of its metal finish, a strong bore and good mechanics. It is in quite nice shape for a service pistol which may have seen use in the world's most destructive conflict, and will make a nice addition to a Colt or WWII small arms collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
