Colt Ace
- Thread starter TomADC
- Start date
That is the conversion unit, installed on an Essex frame, a fairly common situation when Colt still sold those conversion units and Essex Frames were available at good prices. The conversion units were based on the Service Model Ace with the floating chamber, the original Ace not having the floating chamber, but instead having a smaller and lighter slide to operate with the .22 LR.
The floating chamber was designed by one David Williams, whose nickname "Carbine Williams" was bestowed when he went on to design the M1 Carbine.
Jim
The floating chamber was designed by one David Williams, whose nickname "Carbine Williams" was bestowed when he went on to design the M1 Carbine.
Jim
Jim, I'm not sure that is a conversion unit in the usual sense. I magnified and lightened the photo and it definitely says "Service Model" Ace. I would tend to think it was cannibalized from a Service Ace pistol but I'm not sure as Colt may have sold them individually.
I have one similar on an extremely late Remington Rand frame that was allegedly assembled at a Navy base in CA for some navy Lieutenant.
I have one similar on an extremely late Remington Rand frame that was allegedly assembled at a Navy base in CA for some navy Lieutenant.
I've had well documented and fairly miserable results with the 'floating chamber' if you shoot lead nosed .22. I guess the fix is fairly well known, smooth out the floating chamber so it doesn't shave lead. Strangely enough standard velocity Remingtons shot overall best in mine. And even when the floating chamber was leaded up so it didn't float any more the gun would still work.
Good luck.
P.S. Maybe if you can't afford it they'll let you take it out and 'function fire' it, you know, just to be sure it's in good condition.
Good luck.
P.S. Maybe if you can't afford it they'll let you take it out and 'function fire' it, you know, just to be sure it's in good condition.
I have no idea just what mine was built from. It came into our gun shop 20+ years ago and the owner let me have it for a small amount more. I put it away and forgot about it for a good number of years.
When I started training a friends wife who owned a Colt Commander, I remembered I had this in the safe and let her shoot it before going to the 45. (I am NOT a professional trainer, just got her through the basics).
I know it’s not a real ACE but just the ACE upper. The gun was perfect (could have been not fired) when I bought it and in a very short time the frame showed the scraping against the slide.
It has the floating barrel and I shoot anything I have and it functions well and has never had a failure. My only real complaint is that the trigger sucks. Lots of creep and the break feels like Twizzler candy replaced the trigger.
When I started training a friends wife who owned a Colt Commander, I remembered I had this in the safe and let her shoot it before going to the 45. (I am NOT a professional trainer, just got her through the basics).
I know it’s not a real ACE but just the ACE upper. The gun was perfect (could have been not fired) when I bought it and in a very short time the frame showed the scraping against the slide.
It has the floating barrel and I shoot anything I have and it functions well and has never had a failure. My only real complaint is that the trigger sucks. Lots of creep and the break feels like Twizzler candy replaced the trigger.
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Lady's dad was really good with 1911's and had all the tools needed to work on these, I don't know what parts Nelson used but I'd genuine Colt, this one has a great trigger also. He built it for her in the 70's shortly after they moved in next door. She does have two son's but neither one wants it.
Pre-war Conversion Units had a serial number stamped on the top of the slide between the rear sight and ejection port.
Of course, it will also have "conversion unit" rolled on the side, too.
Either way, it's essentially a conversion unit, now.
If had my chamber fully choked by lead residue by fewer than 200 rounds, and I've also shot 500+ rounds with little residue, so I think ammo selection is the key to long-term reliable function.
Of course, it will also have "conversion unit" rolled on the side, too.
Either way, it's essentially a conversion unit, now.
If had my chamber fully choked by lead residue by fewer than 200 rounds, and I've also shot 500+ rounds with little residue, so I think ammo selection is the key to long-term reliable function.
It says Conversion Unit on the left side?
There are documented cases of Colt having put .45 top ends on frames with Ace serial numbers, so it wouldn't surprise me to see an Ace with a ".45" frame.
If the slide doesn't say Conversion Unit on the left side, then it could very well be an Ace from late '70s-early '80s.
Gyvel is correct; my boo-boo. A conversion unit would be marked as such. My conversion unit (a late one) does not even say "ACE" at all and there is no diamond. (By coincidence, it is also mounted on an Essex frame.)
So i have to agree that the slide is probably from a SM ACE pistol.
It is not an ACE slide as the SM ACE floating chamber barrel won't fit an ACE slide, and the slide is too long to be from an ACE.
An original SM ACE would be fairly high ticket, but as a mixed parts gun, the value on this one would not be very high; I would make a WAG of under $1000.
Jim
So i have to agree that the slide is probably from a SM ACE pistol.
It is not an ACE slide as the SM ACE floating chamber barrel won't fit an ACE slide, and the slide is too long to be from an ACE.
An original SM ACE would be fairly high ticket, but as a mixed parts gun, the value on this one would not be very high; I would make a WAG of under $1000.
Jim
I've got the Colt made Conversion Unit with the sliding chamber. It works on most Series 70 and earlier Colts that I've tried, but you have to keep that sliding chamber and the portion that fits into the bbl. proper, clean, clean, clean. Mine worked best with a light, very light skim of Rem oil or something equally thin. Accuracy was so-so compared with a Ciener, Marvel or Advantage Arms unit, however. Most ammo would do 2-3" at 25 yds from rest. Of the three 1911 units that I own, it's my least favorite for that reason. Good luck with yours. Rod
Remember, the conversion was intended to fit literally every Colt made, and it shared the barrel bushing with the donor gun (post-war).
It will respond to the same sort of "accurizing" as a centerfire gun. Fit the slide to frame, fit a match bushing, and ream the frame and barrel for an oversized slide stop, and it should be pretty accurate.
It will respond to the same sort of "accurizing" as a centerfire gun. Fit the slide to frame, fit a match bushing, and ream the frame and barrel for an oversized slide stop, and it should be pretty accurate.
The one in the pictured is from the officers pistol club at Frankford Arsenal during WW2. At the end of the war the club disbanded and the members were able to buy their club pistols. This one I got from my grandfather along with the paperwork he got when it was purchased so it is unaltered from its WW2 days. He started shooting high power match after the war. Oh the serial number is 3 digit.
