COLT M1911A1 C/M Question

[Rob Greer]

Johnny... thanks for the info and photo of this interesting feature. (I'm always learning!) Do you know how wide of a serial number range has been observed with the USP struck (rolled) after finish? Or, is this unique to this particular pistol?

[Johnny Peppers]

I believe the marking was just missed in initial production of the pistol shown, and was sent back through to have the marking applied. I have a blued 1911A1 that the M 1911A1 U.S. ARMY was applied after finish, and I believe it too was just missed initially. Will find it and shoot a picture of it.

[Scott Gahimer]

I've always thought there may have been something about those receivers that wasn't up to spec., and that perhaps they were sent back for correction while the other receivers went on to have the next step(s) of production performed. Then, when the flaw was corrected, they simply rolled on whatever marking was missed. Pistols in this serial range were still being shipped in sequential order. That would have kept pistols together and not delayed shipments.

[Rob Greer]

Interesting stuff... thank you both!

[Johnny Peppers]

It is also inevitable that something will eventually to be missed, as in the case of this pistol. With the M 1911A1 U.S. ARMY being missed and then applied after the pistol was finished, it caused halos around the letters and numbers where the finish turned brown. This is also found on rust blued firearms where the markings were applied after finish. With the resulting halo, the marking appears larger than normal.