ithaca 1911a1 questions

[tbryan]

I am looking at a 1911a1 Ithaca in a pawn shop. I can't take pictures, but need to know what markings should be. They let me take it apart. It has the letters GHD on the left side behind the trigger. Some kind of circular stamp with what looks like crossed cannons on the right side rear under the slide. The barrel is marked colt 45 auto on the bottom under the chamber. There is a P on the right side of the frame next to the mag release, and on top of the slide in front of the rear sight. The grips are brown plastic, with a " 4 " on the inside of the left one and an " 8 " on the right one. The mag has " C-S " on the bottom. The serial no. is in the 1,170,xxx range. The slide is marked Ithaca Gun Co.,Inc on the left side, and United States Property and M1911A1 US Army on the right side of the frame.
The gun is probably 90 percent. with no rust, but some holster wear. Barrel is very good, with just a little darkness in it, but strong rifling.
Can anyone tell me if this gun sounds correct. I like it, but I don't know that much about these old 1911a1's.

[Luger1914]

Not an Ithaca. Colt frame by serial number and GHD, 1944. With Colt barrel and mag. Matched with Ithaca marked slide.

[tbryan]

Thanks Luger1914. That's what I wanted to know. He wants $600 for it. Can Colt slides be found to make it correct.

[Luger1914]

Colt slides can be found. Not easy. Finish match would be difficult. Any USGI 1911A1 in good condition for $600 is a thing of the past here in southeast Texas. You are hard pressed to find any for under a grand.

[tbryan]

I'll probably go ahead and buy it. Thanks for the info. Maybe I will get lucky on a slide, maybe not. It will be a good shooter.

[Duane Hansen]

I would definately buy it for $600. You could probably part it out for $800, give or take....not that I am recommending that you do that. Also the Colt serial number puts this pistol just after they quit serial numbering the slides, so it is possible that you could find an un-numbered Colt slide for the pistol and make it closer to correct.

[randy langford]

Just about any 1911 with a Colt frame is worth that unless it has been over polished.

[tbryan]

Well, I picked up the gun. I shot it two mags worth and it functions perfectly. I took it apart and cleaned it afterwards, and the barrel is perfect. It looks new, no rust, no darkness, no wear.
The finish on the gun is very uniform, and possibly it was redone at some time long ago. The round stamping on the right side of the frame is light, with part of it not visible. Did the army ever redo these guns like they did 1903's ? If so, did they sometimes use what was on hand to put them back in service ?
I would still like to find a Colt slide for it, but it shoots so well that if it stays like this I can live with it. Neat gun. Just enough wear to make you wonder where it has been.

[Johnny P]

The military reworked the pistol in batches. They were disassembled with the usable parts kept and the unserviceable parts discarded. The usable parts were sandblasted to clean them of any rust or old finish, and given a new phosphate finish. The pistols were then reassembled from the reworked parts with new parts added as needed. No attempt was made to keep the original parts together, so if it was reworked you would be mis-matching it if you put a different slide on it even if it was a Colt slide. If it is an original finish pistol with just a mis-matched slide I would go for the correct type slide.

The round thing is the Ordnance acceptance mark which is two cannons and a circle made from a belt. They were stamped after finish, and weren't always stamped perfectly flat. You can look at both that and the G.H.D. to see if they have been sandblasted over, in which case it would be a rework if they have been sandblasted.

[tbryan]

I think they have been sandblasted. It is probably a reworked gun, as the finish on the slide and frame match. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will get it on here and let you all look at it. If you guys think it left the service like this I will probably just leave it alone.

[Johnny P]

This Colt is near your serial number, and even though the Ordnance acceptance mark is not a full strike, you can see that the burnished metal in the stamp has not been sandblasted over.

[tbryan]

Johnny, that is exactly what mine looks like. It is very faint, and not quite as sharp. I don't know. I believe it has been refinished, but I guess that now that I have bought it that doesn't matter. Neat old pistol, but I wish it had a Colt slide. You all have been a great help to me in learning about it. The same pawn shop has an all original 1911, but badly worn, with no finish to speak of. The owner showed it to me, but it is not yet for sale, and might not come out. If I can look at again I will get the markings on it let you guys identify it for me. Thanks, Tom