WW2 M1911A1 vet still serving

[Shooter5]

Recent expo small arms table. The 45 had a 777,000 serial number range and a 1980s rebuild stamp.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r50/joesmith_05/downsized_0916131054_zps4cc4bc03.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/joesmith_05/media/downsized_0916131054_zps4cc4bc03.jpg.html)
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r50/joesmith_05/downsized_0916131054a_zps19a21e59.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/joesmith_05/media/downsized_0916131054a_zps19a21e59.jpg.html)
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r50/joesmith_05/downsized_0916131154_zps5582e994.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/joesmith_05/media/downsized_0916131154_zps5582e994.jpg.html)

[The Wolf]

Nice looking 1911A1! Even with the more modern H&K GLM, suppressed M4, Glock and Beretta weapons displayed, that old Colt holds it's own!

Best Regards from Virginia,

Chris

[1563621]

The 1911a1 is the class on the table! Except for the trigger, grips, and hammer.

[Shooter5]

The majority of 1911s that are still in service usually have modifications to the grips/sights/grip safety/thumb safety/slide release/mag well, etc. Am sure you are aware of that, however. Still neat to see.

[Guamsst]

still serving, with who?

[citizenkane]

How was it rebuild marked?
My friend has a chopped frame that was ANAD marked and dated around the trigger guard.

[Shooter5]

Rebuild stamp appeared to have a single "A", space, 8 (or 9), space, 80. The usual DOD suspects still access the M1911A1, however, modern designs are much more common and popular. For instance, Glock is by far and away the most popular choice for those that have a choice. HK and SIG can be included in the mix, to name a few others. One reason is perhaps the higher magazine capacity of 9mm pistols. Still, it is somewhat astonishing that a weapon made in 1942 is still in use much less in the arms room inventory.

[Guamsst]

Still, it is somewhat astonishing that a weapon made in 1942 is still in use much less in the arms room inventory. I'm Airforce, we have front line, top of the line zillion dollar aircraft designed in the 50s and 60s.....I'm not that astonished...LOL

Seriously though, some things just WORK. Why reinvent the hammer? 1911s still put big holes in people right where you point them, B-52s can still level a small country and C-130s can still put a pallet of whatever you want, wherever you want it. The 1964 canteen cup they issued me still holds liquids just fine. This is why I get so annoyed with the people who think the 1911 just can't be any good, because......"it's old"

[usmc69]

still serving, with who?

I agree. Nothing I ever saw on active duty.

[usmc69]

Rebuild stamp appeared to have a single "A", space, 8 (or 9), space, 80. The usual DOD suspects still access the M1911A1, however, modern designs are much more common and popular. For instance, Glock is by far and away the most popular choice for those that have a choice. HK and SIG can be included in the mix, to name a few others. One reason is perhaps the higher magazine capacity of 9mm pistols. Still, it is somewhat astonishing that a weapon made in 1942 is still in use much less in the arms room inventory.

Never saw a rebuild mark of A 80, only AA. The Navy has many thousands in war stores that are completely rebuilt. Would only use a Glock, SIG or HK until I could pick up a M1911A1.

[Shooter5]

True, AA should be stamped and that is why it appeared odd to only have a single A. However, it might be there but due to the refinish process it might have been obliterated. The Parkerizing appeared to be triple strength thickness!
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r50/joesmith_05/1911_zps90dfaf59.jpg (http://s141.photobucket.com/user/joesmith_05/media/1911_zps90dfaf59.jpg.html)

[Ken Hill]

Those appear to be the "Nutter Butter" grips that came with the short lived Kimber "Warrior" a duplicate for the Quantico built Marine Corps SOCOM gun.

[Shooter5]

Many different types of grips are seen nowadays; for instance, the Punisher. The Ergo grips are good.
http://www.davidsonknives.com/
http://www.laruetactical.com/ergo-xt-1911-hard-rubber-textured-govt-and-commander-length-grips

Within reason, personal preference for certain parts is allowed - use whatever you like! This is surprising to some who are used to the rigid dress-right-dress mentality. Original grips tend to be too slippery when wet/sweat and are a bit on the brittle side. Frankly, it is odd to see standard issue sights on that pistol since most are converted to modern tritium.
Original issue grip safety, trigger, and thumb safety are often switched out since they are not liked by most modern shooters. A beavertail is usually preferred; the old trigger and safety are too small/too short. Next in popularity is the addition of a mag funnel and perhaps an extended slide release.

[Shooter5]

These 'soft-slide' WW2 pistols also reveal that some of them can take a pounding without disintegrating. A round count during a modern range week could total several hundred to thousands of rounds per pistol. Multiply that by the amount shot per year over just the past decade and that could total over 20,000 rounds per pistol.
(A conservative estimate on the low side: 2000 rounds/year x 10 years).
And that is just the past ten years. How many were fired since the 1940s is yet another estimate but lets say it was merely ten thousand. So, for a M1911A1 still in service, it could have fired over thirty thousand rounds over the course of service life...which is still going for some of those pistols. And the total round count could be much, much more by a factor of several multiples.

If that is the case, the possibility and/or ability of 1911s achieving high round counts should be added to the discussion for the soft-slide debate.

[Guamsst]

Shooter5 your estimate sounds good and could easily hit 100,000+ rounds by now. A large number of guns in service sit in the armory unfired for decades though. So, this gun could have as little as 2,000rds through it. Too bad there is no way to know.

I know for sure though that the Air Force had two types of guns up until 9/11 happened. Unfired and worn out.

[Shooter5]

So, this gun could have as little as 2,000rds through it. Too bad there is no way to know.


LOL, (no offense intended...but) the average round count is for an intensive training course whether its military or vendor POI is usually quite high. (See T1G, Academi, MidSouth, GunSite etc) In just a single week your long gun/secondary can easily run into hundreds/thousands depending. Fingers and thumbs get sore pulling triggers and loading mags.
So, for the above 1911, yeah, its put some rounds downrange given the unit(s) who use it. And its more than just 2k.