Singer barrels and Magazines

[stan4]

SINGER BARRELS and MAGAZINES----Now Morphed into a HIGH POLISH ARMY (SEE THREAD # 21)


I have not posted much---but I do enjoy the information. I hope I am doing this correctly.

For you experienced collectors---How do you identify a real Singer barrel and a real Singer Magazine? (Any pictures that show the details?)

Thanks

[Ken Hill]

A Singer and its small parts has many different marking, polishing and machining differences from the standard 1911A1. Posting the details of these differences would give the fakers an edge no one wants them to have.

[stan4]

Singer barrels and Magazines

Mr. Hill,
Thank you for your response. I understand your concerns, but I thought I would ask the question anyway to see if there would be a response. I have had the the opportunity to examine two Singer barrels (or believed to be Singer barrels), but there are not many examples out there for a good education. I have examined one Singer magazine (maybe two), but again not enough (real?) examples for a good education. The next time I get the chance (if I get the opportunity again) to examine a few I will try to spend some time to better educate myself.

[Ken Hill]

Stan ... post good pictures and you should receive good/reliable commentary!

[stan4]

Mr. Hill and other collectors,
I do not have a possible Singer barrel to post pictures of. But, here are some pictures of a colt barrel. It has no markings at all. What period is it from and what Colt pistol would it have shipped in?
Thank you for any information you can give.

[Ed P]

From what the Clawson book states, all the barrels were marked at least with a P and various other markings such as Colt 45 Auto. I see unmarked barrels frequently around, probably so that got out of the factory untested. I would suggest getting the Collectors Guide to Colt .45 Pistols by Charles W. Clawson.

[stan4]

Early colt military barrel?

From what the Clawson book states, all the barrels were marked at least with a P and various other markings such as Colt 45 Auto. I see unmarked barrels frequently around, probably so that got out of the factory untested. I would suggest getting the Collectors Guide to Colt .45 Pistols by Charles W. Clawson.

Thank you for your reply. With some help, I have checked Mr. Clawson's big book and Collectors Guide and Mr. Meadow's 1911 book. Some collectors say it might be a early Colt barrel (one that would not have had the sub-inspectors mark---but, they have not seen one before). I was hoping someone on the forum with some early Colt barrel experience would help identify this barrel.
Maybe no one on the forum has seen a barrel like this before either. Thank you for your help.

[Scott Gahimer]

The surface preparation is not correct for an early, unmarked Colt barrel, but the barrel also appears to be possibly refinished. So, with that in mind, that may account for no visible markings. The lug is correct for a barrel made within the first couple years.

[stan4]

The surface preparation is not correct for an early, unmarked Colt barrel, but the barrel also appears to be possibly refinished. So, with that in mind, that may account for no visible markings. The lug is correct for a barrel made within the first couple years.

Thank you for your response. It might have been refinished. But it does not look refinished if you examine the actual barrel and not a picture (the barrel has oil on it in the previously posted pictures). Do you think all the early barrels were prepped/finished by the same person. I wonder how may people were making Colt barrels when they started making the 1911.
I will try and find some other pictures to post. (It looks like I payed attention when another person posted those previous pictures for me--[I hope]--the 1st and 3rd pictures here are old, the other two were taken with the first five pictures posted before.)

[Scott Gahimer]

The first variation unmarked Colt barrels had a distinct combination of extremely coarse (dull) finish and extremely smooth (highly polished) finish that I do not see on your barrel.

[stan4]

The first variation unmarked Colt barrels had a distinct combination of extremely coarse (dull) finish and extremely smooth (highly polished) finish that I do not see on your barrel.

Mr. Gahimer and collectors,
Yes, I think I know what you mean---(but I have not had the opportunity to study a first variation unmarked Colt barrel. [Just like the Singer questions that started this.]) Would a first variation unmarked Colt barrel look the same (or similar) as a horizontal H with serifs barrel? If so, I have studied a few of them.
This barrel came in a early Colt 1911 Military. I will try to post pictures. (I do not have many pictures of it [good pictures that is]---I watched someone try to take some quick pictures and they did not turn out well---Like trying to take a picture of a mirror---And I have not taken any pictures of it---not sure that I can.) So, when it was handed to me and I focused on the top of the barrel visible at the ejection port, I believed the barrel was wrong. When I took the barrel out and examined it---I could not (positively) ID it. And, that and the invitation to post pictures for help is why I posted pictures of it. It looks like a early Colt barrel with original finish. (After a few months of communication with the owner, I believe the barrel might have been in the pistol when it was acquired by a family (their) member prior to WW1---and, yes, I know---no way to be sure.) Anyway, the barrel is still a mystery.
Thanks for all your help.

[stan4]

Is This What You Mean?

The first variation unmarked Colt barrels had a distinct combination of extremely coarse (dull) finish and extremely smooth (highly polished) finish that I do not see on your barrel.

Mr. Gahimer and Collectors,
Still not sure what you mean. I hope to post some more pictures of other early barrels to see if they fit your description of "distinct combination of extremely coarse (dull) finish and extremely smooth (highly polished) finish". If this post works out I will have 5 pictures of two different early barrels. Do they fit your "distinct combination of extremely coarse (dull) finish and extremely smooth (highly polished) finish"? If so, then a first variation unmarked Colt barrel would look like these but without any marks? Thanks for your help. (Number 2 and 3 are the same barrel and 1 and 4 are of the same.) (I found another old picture in an email of the top of the receiver that the barrel I cannot ID is in--it is a mystery also---I will try to post it in another post.)

[stan4]

Here is a old picture of the top.

Here is what the top of the receiver [that has the mystery (for me) barrel] looks like. Do you have an idea when it was made? Thank you for all your help.

I am going to try to get a picture of the barrel installed in the pistol.

[stan4]

Singer barrels and magazines

Stan ... post good pictures and you should receive good/reliable commentary!

My previous posts may be barrel boring and I do not have any pictures of a suspected Singer magazine, but I do have pictures of a magazine that I am unsure of. Any of you collectors know what this magazine is? Thanks for any help you can offer.

[1563621]

It looks like an early Colt mag.