Model of 1911 U.S. Army with "Colt Automatic Calibre 45" on slide

[Promo]

Any idea which slide this could be? It's on a M1911 made in 1918, military frame (= no commercial!):
Attachment 16697

I never saw such markings (in that combination) on M1911's before.

Regards,

Georg

Information

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[Scott Gahimer]

Georg:

That slide marking indicates the slide started out as a commercial Government Model piece, and was then transferred over for military production during WWI, when pistols were greatly needed to supply troops for the war.

[prewar]

Here is a WWII one ,same deal.

[Scott Gahimer]

That's a nice example. And after WWII ended, the transfers went back the other way on the first couple thousand pistols. They, too, have both military markings on the left side and the commercial marking on the right side, but were converted from a military finish to the new chemical blue Black Magic finish Colt went to after WWII.

All the markings served a purpose at the time they were applied. Colt and others, at the time, were not thinking or concerned about what collectors might be wondering 65-100 years later. Markings were required; markings were applied.

During WWI some completed commercial pistols were even transferred to military use. During WWII, about 6575 commercial pistols were fully converted to military specifications at the time, and were transferred to be used in filling military requirements.

The nice example prewar shows is sort of a half-breed of those 6575 full conversions made in 1942-43. The commercial slides that had been marked with commercial markings, but were not far enough along in production to have been completed with sights, were later used. You will notice on the pistols in the 930-935K serial ranges, those slides have the later style serrated ramp front sight and square notch rear sights that began being used at Colt's in early 1943. The sights (and the number stamped on the back of the slides) are the easiest way to quickly determine if the slides are original to those later half-C/M converted pistols.

They're all interesting variants of parts transferred at time of war.

[KeithNyst]

Prewar, that's a fairly high serial number for having on a transferred commercial slide. Is the slide serial numbered under the firing pin stop to match the sn on the receiver? And does the slide have the P proof mark in front of the rear sight?

Does anyone know how high up in the SN range transferred, commercial slides were acutally used?

[Scott Gahimer]

In the previous post, I stated 930-935K serial range. That's where the last batch of known commercial slides were transferred and used. Those are the slides with the ramped front sights. I'm confident Troy checked his slide's number before he purchased, and his pistol is in the right serial range for that slide. As I said, it looks like a nice example.

[prewar]

Yes numbers match and yes has P in front of rear sight.Most I have seen are BP proofed as well and some are CN proofed too (like one in the Clawson Book).These are way harder to find than the straight Comm/Mil gun`s that are mostly found in the mid 800k range .This is the only one I have owend and have had several of the full Comm/Mil gun`s & Mil/Comm post WWII.This one also has the Swartz safety cut`s too .My misstake the C arrow mark is a ownership mark not a proof

[Promo]

Thanks for the answer, as I said I never saw that conversion before.

Does this make it a more desireable/collectable M1911? I'll have the opportunity to buy it (though unfortunately the barrel had been replaced and the trigger has been polished).

Georg

[Scott Gahimer]

Value (at least here in the U.S.) is normally based on originality and condition. If the pistol's receiver is in the proper serial range and the entire pistol is still original finish, that would account for most of its value.

Values on a pistol with the slide markings you show are somewhat subjective. It might have more value to someone trying to collect several variations, where someone wanting only one M1911 might prefer a pistol that looks like the majority of those produced with standard markings.

[Johnny Peppers]

If CN is for Canadian proofed, Canada did not proof their pistols. They did apply a Canadian broad-arrow C property mark.