Still goes BANG!

[Scott Gahimer]

This mid-1943 Colt has seen better days. But she still fires. Ran 50 rounds through it today. From 25 ft., with no sights remaining, it still grouped really well.
http://i44.tinypic.com/2wnplq8.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/20u5r1s.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2m4966u.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2r4mog2.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/2usaq2g.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2utnsoz.jpg

[SloopJohnB]

Amazing Scott. From the looks of the outside, one would think the internals were toast.

[Scott Gahimer]

Don't have any more real information. I bought it at a gun show a few weeks ago, just as a conversation piece. The slide would cycle, so I was pretty sure it would still function. The bore was just about grown shut with corrosion. Started out just driving a wooden dowel through it, chipping away. Then, drove a wad of Big Frontier through it until I thought it was safe (enough) to shoot. Had to use a rubber mallet to drive the mag in and out to begin with. After 50 rounds, it now goes in and out better.

I used relatively light-loaded lead semi-wadcutters. The feed ramp and chamber are still pretty crusty, so it required some manual assistance most of the time to get it to fully feed and sometimes eject. I think fully loaded ball would have cycled better, but I wanted to use the lighter loads to begin with.

I don't think the corrosion is due to being submerged. I think it is a dig up, or was simply stored somewhere like an old, damp barn, garage, basement, etc. Internal surfaces are bad, too, but not as bad as the external. I didn't bother to detail strip it. I just field-stripped it, did some cleaning and put it back together. I decided not to replace anything. Plan to leave it just like I got it.

The thumb safety, MSH, hammer, barrel and stocks are not original to the pistol. Flannery barrel, Ithaca thumb safety and MSH. Hammer? Not enough left to say for sure. Korean War stocks. It did not have a magazine when I got it...probably because one wouldn't go in. One grip screw bushing, 2 grip screws and the stocks were changed after the pistol was recovered IMO.

I'm confident no one had tried to fire the pistol since it was recovered...until I fired it today. The barrel and mag well were just too over grown with corrosion. I show about 40 photos of the pistol and all the internals on my site, but here are a few.
http://i44.tinypic.com/2n9jhav.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/33l2qo7.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/28teti.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/o5dw5s.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2qvgnsh.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/10gmirq.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/2lvg5ep.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2q1bds7.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/max9ic.jpg

[FLATLOCK]

Do you have any history on the Colt Scott ? It reminds me of some photos I have seen in the past of crash site recoveries and battlefield finds .

[FLATLOCK]

Looks like you were answering my question while I was asking it ! Thanks for posting the information and great photos ! Very interesting !

[ignats]

Wonder what it would look like after Dave had it awhile?

[Richard H Brown Jr]

You mean AFTER he comes out of a dead faint. and says "Uh, that's gonna take a bit of time and a LOT of money."

RHB

[westgard]

you've got guts to shoot that!

[p246]

Gives new meaning to "that old wore out 1911" does it rattle when u shake it:-)

[joem]

That's pretty cool. I hope you got it for a good price.

[Duane Hansen]

Nice Scott, Looks just like the old US&S pistol that John Holbrook has. John got his to shoot too. I notice the Colt is in the US&S serial number range too. John's was found in the wall of an old barn that was being demolished. It was put there when a GI brought it home from WWII. So, 60 plus years in a damp old barn will leave them looking just like your Colt.

One more interesting thing. When they get this bad, it is almost impossible to stop the continued deterioration.

[LAH]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/hamiltol/COLT1911A14.jpg
but it don't go bang anymore.

[FinLaw]

Those have no collector value.

[Johnny P]

Those have no collector value.

Those are very valuable to the collectors that like their pistol to show some history and character. No safe queens for them.

[Duane Hansen]

Those have no collector value.

Was that a question or a declarative statement?

[Scott Gahimer]

He may have thought I was replying to his WTB listing...
http://www.jouster.com/forums/search.php?searchid=117490
New members sometimes have trouble navigating the site.

[Ken Hill]

Hi Scott,

Truthfully, did you clean it after you shot it?

/Ken

[Scott Gahimer]

Not yet. Not sure I could tell if I did. :)

[gmg1183]

I have heard of Rat Rods, could this be called a Rat Pistol?

[FinLaw]

He may have thought I was replying to his WTB listing...
http://www.jouster.com/forums/search.php?searchid=117490
New members sometimes have trouble navigating the site.

You are correct, sir. I am an idiot and can't navigate. I thought if a 1911 didn't have any finish left that it had no collector value. That is what others have said. I have a lot to learn though and hope to get my first collectible gun soon.

[Scott Gahimer]

That's pretty good information to start with, anyway. The primary things that drive collector value is originality and condition...and this pistol has neither. And, as Johnny has pointed out, many sellers will conjure up a big story in order to pass off a steaming turd as something of value.