Make: Union Switch & Signal Co.
Model: 1911-A1
Serial Number: 1044604
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5", High Standard
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 Keyes Fibre panels with reinforcement ribs on the inside but without reinforcement rings around the screws. The grips have fairly even minor handling wear with a few scattered nicks and scratches, mostly on the right panel. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Du-Lite
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright with sharp rifling. There is scattered light erosion and pitting in the bore, mostly in the grooves. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 6/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 75% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most of the balance is handling wear in the grip areas with some more minor wear along the top of the slide. There are some light nicks and scratches with minor oxidation in the frontstrap. There is an "idiot mark" near the slide stop on the left of the frame and slide. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good 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 Scovill 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 the name suggests, Union Switch & Signal Co. produced switches and signaling equipment for railroads. They received a contract to produce 200,000 1911-A1 pistols, though the contract would be shortened with only 55,000 delivered to the government. This makes the US&S 1911-A1s the second rarest of all the manufacturers, behind only Singer who developed the educational material to allow non-firearms manufacturers to swiftly tool up to produce 1911 pistols. It is believed that when the drawings were originally delivered to US&S, the "P" proof mark on the slide was not included, leading to the early production US&S pistols not having the mark at all. When this was discovered, Ordnance requested that the marking be added to the pistol, but it appears that the location was not clear, with interim production guns having the marking notably left of center. The later production pistols had the marking in the same location as other makers.
This example is a neat find for collectors with an early-production US&S which has no "P" marking on the slide and early Keyes Fibre grips without reinforcement rings around the screws. The pistol retains its original Du-Lite finish, a nice find for dedicated collectors. This pistol should garner a lot of interest from the collectors of WWI and WWII pistols, and 1911s in particular, but may also prove to be a fun shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
