Posted: 10/22/2010 6:40:43 PM EDT
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I just bought my first 1911 today and it is a Colt.
I do not know very much about 1911's but bought it becase it seemed like a good deal. Slide Reads: COLTS PT. F.A. MFG. CO. other side: 7790314 S/N: 34,xxx I picked it up for $400 including 3 mags. What can yall tell me about her? when was she made? did i get an alright deal? |
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That puppy is nearly a century old, 98 years to be specific, mfg 1912 according to my reference.
Condition, and a lack of modifications is what makes it valuable though. If it has all original parts and most of an original finish it would of interest to some collector. Take it to several different shops if you should decide to sell it. Some will want to screw you if its in collectable condition. |
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Here are some pictures. it has Wilson grips, what appears to be an after market adjustable sight with BO-MAR on the side. It also look like someone has stippled the front and back of the frame.
the SN on the barrel slide and frame match. how did i do? what do i have? 
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You have a put together with a replacement slide [GI] Worth about 4-500 bucks depending on how well the work was done. The frame likely isn't GI as the serial numbers would make it a 1911 and not an A1 and the scallops behind the trigger guard would denote an A1 frame. [or an aftermarket one.]
Essex frame? |
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To which I'll add the following.
You have a put-together Target pistol made from a modified Colt slide and an aftermarket frame. Genuine Colt commercial frames had serial numbers that started with a "C" as in "C12345". Later in the 1960's Colt commercial guns had other number and letter combination serial numbers. All USGI frames whether made by Colt or another government contractor started with "No." as in "No.12345". Since your frame has neither a "C" or "No" it's neither Colt or GI, but an aftermarket 1911-A1 style frame, made by someone like Essex. The slide is a Colt slide which has had the stampings on the left side ground off and the assembly number stamped. The same assembly number is apparently stamped on the barrel and the frame. For these types of target guns this was a common practice, simply to make sure the fitted parts remained together. Many of these guns were built to shoot lightly loaded 185 grain semi-wadcutter lead bullets. Before firing the gun make SURE how it's set up. A gun set up for light Mid-range target loads will have a lighter recoil spring and firing full power ammo can seriously damage it. These guns also often used magazines that were "tuned" to feed the shorter target ammo. Other guns were made up as "hard ball" guns to fire standard full load 230 grain full metal jacket bullets. If in doubt, replace the recoil spring with a standard spring. |
| the slide with the number on itr like yours were built by colt as spare parts for GI match pistols. it was a common spare part years ago and many competiitve bullseye shooters had guns built with them and after market frames- 400 bucks is a fair price- yes replace recoil spirng and shoot with any standard factory load- you may be surprised- these built up bullsye guns usually shoot very well. |