Infos on early Ithaca 1911A1

[Mikecp@2022]

Well, thanks for your infos, you're right this 1911 has been reassembled at some times. The seller told me by phone that indeed the inspector initials is FJA This gun could be good to use it for spare parts, or a shooter as well.

[Mikecp@2022]

The seller told me this gun comes from the Ardennes area is also well known because of the Battle of the Bulge. Well, difficult to know where is the truth!

[Johnny Peppers]

What are the marks on the right side of the slide and receiver toward the back?

[Mikecp@2022]

Attachment 35665

I saw this mark somewhere, but I can't remember where, I checked all European proof marks but no success.
The picture is not too good and I don't have access to this gun. I'm not sure to buy this gun yet, maybe as a shooter.
For your information maybe you know that: Switzerland is the only country in Europe when guns are imported from any countries in the world to don't pass at the proofing bench and have those ugly stamps on a cylinder, barrel, and elsewhere. Imagine a beautiful Colt Python stamping all over the gun! I do not know the reason maybe some of you has an explanation.

[theholeinthedonut]

Hi Mikecp,

Are you considering to buy this 1911A1? If so I wouldn't worry too much about the gun being a mixmaster, it's quite common for the 1911A1's you find on our side of the big pond. It's hard to tell when the changes have been made, it coud have been the GI that was issued the pistol during the war, it could have been the divisional armoury......but it could aso have been post war changes made by the US Army, hard to tel with the pictures at hand! What is the going rate for a 1911A1 in Switzerland, in some european countries prices are going crazy! :-(

[Johnny Peppers]

Being the 491st Ithaca made makes it too valuable to sell of as parts. Someone probably looked at one of the old serial number lists, and possibly replaced the correct slide thinking the pistol was a Colt.

[Mikecp@2022]

Well! About prizes of 1911A1, it depends the condition, I would say between CHF 1000.00 to 1500.00, and around 1600.00 for an US&S.

(1000.00 Swiss Francs for $ 1,032.91)

[Mikecp@2022]

I saw on the net several pistols with frames Ithaca FJA topped with a regular M1911A1 colt marking slide and spur hammer. Some said It's rare I do not know what's the truth.
As you said in the duplicates serial numbers sequences that could be taken for a Colt, that is the reason why we find such assembling. Some people aren't probably aware what means Initials FJA or others.

[Johnny Peppers]

I saw on the net several pistols with frames Ithaca FJA topped with a regular M1911A1 colt marking slide and spur hammer. Some said It's rare I do not know what's the truth.

The truth is that no Ithaca pistols were assembled with Colt marked slides. As posted above, the Colt slides purchased by Ithaca were new production and unmarked.

[Scott Gahimer]

Not only are slides swapped due to the duplicated serial ranges, but because some people believe it will boost value having a "Colt" instead of an Ithaca. As early as that Ithaca is, if the receiver is all correct, I'd probably try to mate up a correct Ithaca slide to it. The proof marks on the slide and receiver make that a bit of a problem now, as you'd probably never come up with a proper slide having the same proof marks.

However, mating up slides isn't as easy as it sounds, either. Not only would you need a matching finish and proper proof mark, but you'd also have to have matching "P" proofs. All that adds up to about a 0% chance of ever correcting the mismatch. With that in mind, all you can say is "that's too bad it got mismatched". It's just one more very early Ithaca we know isn't original anymore.

Thanks for sharing the images with us.