Chromed 1943 Ithaca....

[lvanbrunt2]

All right, here is a chromed Ithaca 1911A1. I know what 99.9% of the experts will say, and I agree with them, but my father wants to take a stab at getting opinions about his gun. First let’s say the gun is a complete 1943 Ithaca. A “P” is stamped on the left frame and top of the slide. FJA is stamped on left frame along with a faint stamp on the trigger guard bow. The Ordnance Escutcheon is stamped on the right frame behind the grip. It’s marked with US PROPERTY. The barrel is an HS with a ‘P” stamped. The serial number indicates that it could be one of 1,621 shipped on 4/17/1944 to the Ordnance Property Officer, Hamilton Field, California.
Ok here’s the story. My father sent it to Mark Smith, Precision Bluing, Greene NY, to be refinished. Mark did contract work for Ithaca when they were located in Ithaca NY. He told my father he was 95% sure that the gun was a presentation model because the finish is copper, nickel, with flash chrome . He advised my father not to change the finish and sent it back. So Mark, who has 30+ years of experience and knowledge, turned down the work because of what he believed the gun was. Any thoughts or opinions are welcomed. Thanks.

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[browningautorifle]

copper, nickel, with flash chrome

I think that's pretty much normal. I bead blasted lots of them years ago that came from some southern country and had been finished to look like pimp specials and Sunday guns. If you want it re-finished, take it to a gunsmith and tell him what you want. If he questions you, tell him again... I don't think this gun's anything special.

[lvanbrunt2]

Thanks for the feedback.

[browningautorifle]

Looks like a very standard gun to me. Except for it's a Sunday gun now.

[Johnny Peppers]

Ok here’s the story. My father sent it to Mark Smith, Precision Bluing, Greene NY, to be refinished. Mark did contract work for Ithaca when they were located in Ithaca NY. He told my father he was 95% sure that the gun was a presentation model because the finish is copper, nickel, with flash chrome . He advised my father not to change the finish and sent it back. So Mark, who has 30+ years of experience and knowledge, turned down the work because of what he believed the gun was. Any thoughts or opinions are welcomed. Thanks.

Hope Mark's work is better than his knowledge of the 1911A1. Sorry, but it was fairly common for GI's to have pistols they brought back blued, chromed, or nickeled.

[Neal Myers]

"Presentation" implies that a gun was given away. During/after WW2, a number of M1 carbines were given away by the manufacturers; these never had contract production serial numbers:



Once this Ithaca was delivered to the US government, it would have been illegal for anyone in the US government to give it away. It was US PROPERTY.

Neal

[lvanbrunt2]

Thank you for the feed back, i've passed it along!!

[browningautorifle]

Nice sample Neal...