Kilroy Was Here (And Still Is)

Colt Black Army Reproduction, only 750-units made.

 

Colt 100-years service anniversary ANVIII.

 

My soon to be 98 year old father-in-law and WW II vet (oldest living vet in Lewis Co., KY) has two WWII 1911s in his gun safe. He went into battle a kid and came out a man.

Father-in-law is still independent and avid sportsman. Harvested 3 deer year before last and still tore up it he wasted a one round.

Probably closest I’ll ever get to owning one, is the Tisas clone picked up last Fall. Replaced the cheap grips with black GI issued grips which I believe were Navy issued? Also picked up pair of WWII era brown ones. Overall it’s a fine example and well built clone.








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I know that when the Carbonia Blued reproduction came out, it was called "carbonia" but; and I am being pedantic here, "carbonia bluing" was a Smith & Wesson name for charcoal bluing back in the days.

The Black Army Reproduction has a matte blued finish that looks black.

The ANVIII actually had the charcoal blued finish but not as well polished so it also looks black - actually this one looks more like the original Black Army.

Charcoal bluing was and is very pretty but not economical. The Black Army had a black blued finish instead of the lighter shade of polished charcoal blued finish that is of early GI M1911.

 

Well...it’s a good thing that mine aren’t, eh?

 

Looks nice

Congrats!

 

I have the receipt for my grandfather’s M1911. He was an Army Signal Corps pilot when officers were required to purchase their own sidearms. The receipt was dated 1917. I never saw the pistol. I’m guessing it was sold during the Depression...

 

Once upon a time, a friend gave me a worn out 1911. I removed the original barrel/bushing/link and hammer/sear/mainspring, putting them in a safe place. I hand fit a Kart barrel/bushing to the slide and fit a new hammer/sear/mainspring (roughed up the barrel and hammer to appear like the rest of the gun) and tightened up the frame to slide fit. Wanting to maintain the battle worn appearance, I left the sights alone. Save for the lesser quality sight picture, it shoots on par with my match grade 1911's. It attracted some attention at matches back in the day when I used to shoot single stack.

 

Preface: I AM ONLY REPEATING WHAT I HEARD!! I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH OR NOT, NOR DO I BENEFIT FROM IT IN ANY WAY!!

That said, from a conversation overheard at a LGS a long time ago (30 years or so):

The local gun guy was somewhat famous for his 1911 "prowess". Of course, I was duly impressed, being a young 20-something and just really getting into firearms myself, and it just so happened I was enamored first and foremost with John Browning's M1911. Anyway, another gentleman dropped in a presented what appeared to be a beautiful - but finely blued - 1911. The gentleman presented the firearm and asked if the old timer could offer some providence to the piece, as it had belonged to a relative who had recently passed, and that relative had reportedly told the gentleman that this very weapon was one he carried in battle during WWII and had somehow managed to keep after his service.

The older 1911 guy field disassembled it, looked it over, and declared that this was a civilian weapon, but one that had, in fact, been pressed into military service. As evidence, he showed two factors - engraved part numbers that matched the last three of the serial, and a cartouche on the frame that was the old cannonball cartouche found on Garands. He commented that it was exceptionally rare to find such a combination, and offered the gentleman $2,500 on the spot for the pistol, which to me meant the old 1911 guy genuinely believed what he was telling the gentleman. The gentleman considered it, then politely refused, stating he would keep it in the family and pass it down to his children.

I have, since that day, looked for another example like that one, and have yet to run across one.

 

Not all WW2 1911a1's were parkerized. The 500 Singers were all blued. And some early ones of other makes may have been blued as well.

 

Here's my 1943 Colt 1911A1. Unlike so many of them it was never overhauled at an arsenal and has matching serial numbers on slide and frame. It was carried throughout Europe during WWII by Cpt. Edson Hammer in the holster pictured with it. He also carried it in Japan during the Korean War. He retired as a Lt. Colonel and kept his Colt until he was in his eighties.

 

1942