1911A1

[Bucksnort1]

There are a lot of beautifully modified semi-auto 1911A1 pistols to include the matched and mirrored pair made from a metal meteorite. Kimber and other firms do wonderful work on modifying 1911s but for me, I will take a parkerized plain jane Colt 1911A1 any day. It's the most beautiful handgun ever made.

I don't own a 1911A1 but I do have a Colt 1991A1 so I do get to enjoy holding and shooting a piece of history, so to speak.





Even the impossible is possible.

Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

 

[deerslayer303]

I could not agree with you more. I love an A1. I think they look so good in their Original form. I can't afford a Colt A1 right now. But someday I hope to. So for now I'm loving my Tisas A1

Sent from my E6910 using Tapatalk

 

[rock185]

Having owned a 1911A1, I understand the classic appeal. But the tiny sights, small thumb safety, hammer that bites some, loosely fitted barrel, slide and frame, etc. are things that have been improved upon in current 1911 type pistols. We are fortunate that pretty much all 1911 tastes can be accommodated now days.

 

[mr bolo]

I prefer the standard GI M1911A1 with parkerized finish , GI sights , plastic or bakelite grips,

lanyard loop, no firing pin block necessary

 

[Steve in Allentown]

. . . for me, I will take a parkerized plain jane Colt 1911A1 any day.

To each his own.

I carried and shot WWII 1911s for many years courtesy of Uncle Sam. I don't need a flashy pistol with all the bells and whistles but I do want excellent accuracy, 100% reliability, and no hammer bite. So, while parkerizing is fine for me, bobbing the hammer and massaging the grip safety to prevent hammer bite is a must-have in my book. I wouldn't mind having bigger sights either.

Not long ago I restored a very beat up and heavily corroded 1911 that had seen combat during WWII/Korea. The owner wanted it as a shooter not a museum piece. It looks GI on the outside but the original barrel was unserviceable so I replaced it with a new, fitted Kart barrel. The original sights must have been used to pound nails so I replaced them with bigger but still GI style sights. I had to replace all the small internal parts as well because of extreme wear and corrosion. It turned out well. Looks like a GI pistol on the outside but it's 100% reliable and dead nuts accurate.

 

[Bucksnort1]

And speaking of 1911s, many years ago, I taught fly fishing at the now closed Lowry Air Force Base, CO. In one of my classes, was a WWII B-17 veteran. s.

So one evening in the class during a break, we talked 1911s. He told me about his 1911 which he was able to sneak out of England. During another class, he brought the pistol to show me. It was a Singer 1911. He asked if I would be interested in buying it. I told him no. I couldn't have afforded it anyway because my Blue Book of Gun values showed it to be worth, in 1987, about $5,500. He had no idea it was worth that much.

Singer 1911s were issued only to U.S. aircrews.

 

[RickB]

A buddy was telling me his WWII-pilot dad had completely stripped his pistol, heavily greased the parts, then put all of the parts in a pouch that he had attached to his parachute harness, as they were required to be armed, but he was tired of constantly maintaining the pistol.
He thinks he still has the pouched pistol, somewhere in a box, and it's supposedly a Singer.

The reports of Singers in the wild reminds me of the comment, regarding rare, valuable vintage cars, "Of the 1500 cars produced, only 2000 are believed to still be on the road".

 

[Jim Watson]

Yeah, my friendly local Kydex bender says his Father had a Singer but his brother inherited it so I never got a look.

 

[highpower3006]

MMMMMM..... 1911A1

 

[Steve in Allentown]

MMMMMM..... 1911A1

Now that's a collection!

 

[KyJim]

I haven't met many 1911s I didn't like the looks of. But, "Plain Jane" doesn't have to mean a true GI-configuration. I have a couple that I think of as "Plain Jane" but with common sense upgrades. Top to bottom, Dan Wesson, Norinco, and CZ:

All are "Plain Jane" but have some added functionality over the true GI models.

 

[EIGHTYDUECE]

I like the basic USGI the best.

I added a USGI trigger, a new colt checkered mag release, AO GI style MSH, and reproduction GI grips. Not a perfect clone, but close enough to scratch the itch.

I also have an Inland USGI reproduction. Not exact but close enough for me.

 

[Bucksnort1]

In the Army in 1965 at Ft. Ord, I trained on the 81mm mortar. Mortarmen carried 1911s. Two things about this. First, I qualified expert and second, we had to disassemble the pistol in something like eight seconds. I could be wrong about the time but it wasn't long. Also can't remember if we had to reassemble in same time.

The B-17 pilot loved his 1911 so much, his aircrew had special grips made with his call sign, "Bird Dog". He told me how he was able to get home with it.

He placed the gun with the handle high up in his crotch with barrel pointing toward the ground then he used white medical tape to secure the barrel to his leg. He said it was very uncomfortable sitting but was able to manage the flight home. Before departure from England, all were frisked. He managed to avoid being caught.

He was shot down two times and wounded on the second. The bullet came through the bottom of the aircraft and penetrated his leg. On the first shoot down, he was able to limp to England and make a crash landing. On the second, he was in northern France or Belgium where he spotted an airfield and made a safe landing. When he rolled to a stop, he saw vehicles hightailing it across the field. He told his crew to be prepared to be POWs. What he didn't know is the field had been captured by the Allies a day or two earlier.

 

[bamaranger]

History

It's hard to ignore the link to the past of the "a1" pattern pistols, but the GI sights leave a lot to be desired. Colt improved upon the fixed sights with later commercial models. Recently I had Harrison Design install a set of their "retro" sights on one of my GI pattern pistols and can highly recommend the shop and the sight set.

Additionally, the flat backstrap as found on the early 1911 frame, feels and points much better for me, despite what the army declared with the mods after WW II.

 

[Bucksnort1]

I love the gun in its original form.

 

[Classic12]

I love the military 1911 A1

All 1943

Colt
Ithaca
Remington Rand

 

[Reloadron]

Have to love the 1911 guns. I have a stash of Colt Series 70 guns and hopefully this week will score a WWII Remington Rand flavor including brown leather holster. I have one older Colt circa 1914 with a 5 digit serial number but the gun is a little rough. The one I hope to get a shot at is supposedly pretty clean brought back by a Seabee WWII vet.

Just about all of the below are Colt Series 70 guns with a few Gold Cups tossed in.

Ron

 

[Reloadron]

Today I got the 1911A1 I mentioned above. A Remington Rand 1911A1 a WWII bring back by a Seabee. The gun went from father to son and the son passed away.

I gave a grand for the gun, they were happy and I was very happy. I had been thinking about trying for a CMP but kept procrastinating and patience paid off What looks splotchy is after I rubbed the gun down with a Remoil wipe. Finally!

Ron

 

[lamarw]

My three:

Colt M1911 (Black Army)

Remington Rand M1911A1

Colt M1911A1

I paid for all three as opposed to stealing or politely put liberating them from Uncle Sam.

 

[Reloadron]

I paid for all three as opposed to stealing or politely put liberating them from Uncle Sam.

I figure liberating was a lot easier at the close of WWII than today.

I was originally sent from Iwa Kuni Japan to Vietnam in 72. Flew in on a Marine C130 as a courier. Issued a 1911A1 in Japan. Then my unit moved in after I got there. I was issued my M16A1 in country. When I left the M16A1 was returned in DaNang, Vietnam and I returned to Japan where they wanted my 1911A1 back before I got on my freedom bird back to CONUS (home).

Prior to that I have seen plenty of DeMilled guns guys brought home but they were demiled.

Ron