A beginners guide to collecting the .45 auto pistol. Part 1
Written By: Karl Karash

	While this guide is primarly slanted toward the .45 automatic, many of
the comments herein can be applied generally, and even if interests lie with
other pistols, perhaps a few tidbits can be extracted.  Many of the comments
stem from mistakes that I have made, and reading about them may keep someone
from repeating my folly.  
	The very first time that some people get the urge, or are bitten by
the gun bug is sometimes not a precisely definable instant, but is an
irresistable force that gradually builds up.  Other people seem to be struck
with a type of lust that has been associated with the American Automobile 
buyer, and the money that they do not have burns a hole in their pockets
until the catharsis of buying the gun gives temporary symptomatic relief of
the forces that brought about the original emotional state.  In either case,
the subject may feel that it is necessary to act expeditiously in order to
avoid being left out, or missing out on something.  
	These are probably very normal human reactions, and represent the
difficulties that we all face when we make decisions that have possible long
term consequences.  If we make decisions that will effect our lives for years
to come, (such as buying a house, choosing a physician, or a marriage partner)
with the same dispatch as when we try a new deodorant, then we will be stuck 
with the consequences of our hasty action.  
	I do not mean to imply that prompt action is not sometimes necessary;
far from it.  Collecting of any sort is often a tug of war between hesitating,
then missing an item, and acting quickly and ending up with regrets. 
Collecting is then a lot like taking a stroll through a swamp.  If you step on
the wrong spot, you will be in trouble, and furthermore if you see someone 
walking casually among the alligators, you may find that he too has big teeth.
The purpose of this guide is to provide some signposts which will tell you how
to keep out of the quicksand and avoid the alligators.  (If anyone is offended
by the warnings and advice in this guide, then perhaps we are getting a little
too close to home, and maybe our act could use a little cleaning up??)

Definition: A gun collector is someone who for whatever reason collects
guns.  A person who buys and sells guns is no more a collector than is a 
person who buys and sells stocks.  We don't call a person who buys and sells 
stocks,  a stock collector, we call him an investor or speculator.  
A collector does not have to be collecting to be one, any more than an
alcoholic has to be drinking in order to be one, but deep down inside, they
know when they are one!
	This guide will not help you much in making the correct decisions,
but it may help in avoiding some of the wrong ones.  The guide is roughly 
divided into three sections:  Themes for Collecting, History, and Advice.
There is no particular order that the sections should be read, however, the
beginner might always do well to listen to advice AFTER he has read everything
else.  That bit of advice might even apply to all of us. 
	I believe that most collectors eventually realize that discipline is 
a necessary ingredient in any collecting endeavor.  A self imposed discipline,
may be one of the characteristics that separates man from the lower amimals, 
whose behavior is governed almost entirely by instinct.  Imposing self 
discipline on ones self may even be part of a modern day rite of manhood.
The discipline that you impose on your collection may be more a part of
you and what makes your collection personal, than are the guns themselves. 
	Some collectors have a collection which changes as the wind, and they
unabashedly admit that their interest in any gun is as a toy which is to be
used for the immediate visceral pleasure and it's then to be gotten rid of.
Other collectors see each acquisition as if it was a part of whatever makes
them a whole person, and will seldom even listen to the suggestion that 
they might sell a possession.  I have noticed  what appears to be an
uncomfortably close correlation between the attitude that people have to
their guns and to their partners in life.  There are no rights or wrongs in 
these attitudes, but it does also seem that people with similar attitudes
toward their guns have an affinity for each other.  It is unfortunate that
many people are so squirreley about their guns, for fear that if someone knew 1

of their existence that it would be only a matter of hours before the hordes
of low life would be breaking down their door.  In spite of this, however,
collectors seem to find each other and advance the general knowledge base. 
	A ".45 AUTO Pistol" collection can be a stand alone entity, or it can 
be part of a larger collection, and there are no rights or wrongs as to what 
to collect, since collecting is an activity which yields gratification.  There
are however, investment aspects that go along with the collection, and it is 
ultimately up to the collector to balance the gratification and enjoyment 
against the yield of the investment. 
	Once it has been determined that the field in which you wish to collect
is the .45 auto pistol, perhaps setting some overall goals or guidelines      
would be useful.  Even better is to try to write down the goals and the    
limitations which you wish to impose on yourself.  When this is done, it
should be done in a way that leaves room for expansion and modification.
Because as time goes on, and some or all of the goals become fulfilled,
you will find that your interest changes.  When that happens, it is essential
that the outline or skeleton of the collection be flexible enough that it     
can accommodate the necessary bends without breaking into little disconnected 
pieces.  One line of reasoning would be to define a starting level with
a broad enough base that it can be extended outward from any point; this 
allows specialization without weakening the whole structure.  
	An example of this might be to determine to first collect all of the 
military acceptance stamps, and as these stamps span the whole period of 
production from 1912 through 1945, they would form a foundation for any 
collection.  
	Another approach might be to confine yourself to a subset of the
complete production period, such as to collect only the 1911s, as Bill 
Goddard chose to do, or perhaps to pick only the 1911A1s.  
	There are enough categories or subcategories to occupy most interests.
You might choose to specialize in Navy pistols, or even only U.S. NAVY marked
pistols.  The Navy pistols of WWI were marked "U.S.NAVY," whereas the two 
batches of WWII Navy Pistols can only be identified by serial number.  One
could start out collecting WWI Navys and then branch out to WWII, and then
perhaps to the Marine Corps issued pistols since, at least administratively,
the Marine Corps was part of the Navy Department.  A broader baseline for
the collection, however, would allow much easier changes in the theme of the 
overall collection.
	If you choose to specialize in a rather narrow field (such as the 
1911 Springfield Armory produced pistols), it will be only a matter of time
before you collect yourself into a corner, and the only holes in your 
collection are ones that are nearly impossible to fill, or the prices of the
available examples are so high that you cannot afford them.  In this example,
all the variations (in this case, batches) of the NRA marked Springfields 
would be the logical progression from the basic Springfield guns.  These
pistols are so scarce (and generally priced so high,), that it would be 
difficult to maintain a high level of interest in them over the years.  Only
if one has a nearly infinite amount of patience, and perhaps money too, should
one limit oneself to so narrow a field of collecting.

	Other possible themes for a collection include:
	 1. Collect 1911 pistols by year of production. 
	 2. Collect 1911A1 pistols by year of production.
	 3. Collect only Colt 1911s or 1911A1s.      
	 4. Collect everything but Colts.
	 5. Collect only militaries, or only commercials.
	 6. Collect only parkerized 1911A1s.
	 7. Collect only blued 1911A1s.
	 8. Collect only new condition examples.
	 9. Collect all the variations of a particuluar mfg. such as U.S.&S.
	10. Collect only the most rare and highly priced guns such as Singer
	    and North American.
	11. Collect only one manufacturer such as Remington Rand or Ithaca.
	12. Collect only presentation or specially marked give-away or 
	    experimental examples such as the ERRS Remington Rands.
	13. Collect only military national match examples by year.          2

	14. Collect only 1911A1 Colts with numbered slides.
	15. Collect only foreign contracts.
	16. Collect only Norwegian examples, both Colt and Norwegian made.
	17. Collect only South American Contracts such as Brasil, Argentina,
	    and Mexico.
	18. Collect only foreign variations such as the Norwegian, Ballister-
	    Molina, Obregon, or Asian copies made from shell fragments.
	19. Collect only early 1911s such as examples with the circle around
	    the horse.
	20. Collect only pistols with fire blued parts.
	21. Collect only pistols with dimpled magazine catches.
	22. Collect only U.S. Marine Corps issued pistols.                
	23. Collect only consecutively numbered pairs.
	24. Collect only marked arsenal rework examples.
	25. Collect only X numbered reworks.
	26. Collect only duplicate serial numbered pairs.
	27. Collect only pistols with both commercial and military markings.
	28. Collect only pistols without proofs or acceptance stamps.
	29. Collect only 1911/1911A1 transition pistols.
	30. Collect only British marked pistols in cal..455
	31. Collect only lend lease pistols.
	32. Collect only pistols in .38 Super cal.
	33. Collect all variations of proof and acceptance marks.
	34. Collect only cutaways, factory and non factory.
	35. Collect only contracts to a specific country, such as Canada. 
	36. Collect only examples made in a specific year, such as your
	    year of birth. Mil,Comm, Foreign,nat match, ace,.38,
	37. Collect only 1911 commercials.
	38. Collect only 1911A1 commercials.
	39. Collect only Swartz Safety equipped examples. 
	40. Collect only Service Model ACE pistols.
	41. Collect only AMU (Army Marksmanship Unit) pistols.
	42. Collect only post WWII commercials.
	43. Collect only Engraved pistols, Factory and non-factory.
	44. Collect only rigs (guns with matching leather).
	45. Collect only pre-production examples (prototypes, pilot runs,etc.)
	46. Collect only pistols documented as having seen specific service.
	47. Collect uniquely marked examples such as inscribed or unit marked.
	48. Collect examples as they strike your fancy, with the hope that
	    a theme for the collection will present itself.  
	49. Collect only leather and accesories, and related items, such as 
	    Squad cleaning kits, shipping boxes, catalogs, manuals, take down 
	    tools, storage racks, ammunition, factory tools, roll dies, parts,
	    documentation, serial number data, production records, and of 
	    course stories, both written and oral.  
	50. Collect only NAVY marked pistols.
	51. Collect only Commemoratives.
	52. Collect only clones.
	53. Collect Reblues, mismatches, imports, junkers, shooters, and 
	    anything unusual.	
	54. Collect any combination of these catagories.

1,2. Collecting M1911/1911A1 pistols by year of production allows you to pick
and choose among many variations which you may find produced in most years.
It only requires 8 M1911 examples and 10 M1911A1 examples, therfore, the 
numbers of examples needed to complete a basic collection are modest.  Some 
of the years, however, especially 1937, 1938, and 1939 are so rare that some 
collectors have looked for many years without ever being close to buying one.

3. Collecting only "COLT" 1911s or only "COLT" 1911A1s has a sort of snob 
appeal that seems to be popular among the Single Action Army collectors, and 
while this may make good sense financially, it will leave big holes from a 
historical perspective.  The Remington Rands and Ithacas are as much a part
of the history as are the Colts;  Looking down your nose at these fine guns
will only label you as a snob.  Collecting only 1911s or only 1911A1s seems  3

to be a popular theme, as this division associates a much smaller period of 
time with the collection.  Often someone will have an especially keen interest
in one of the world wars, and the two groups coincide with the wars.  The 
1911s are more similar as a group, and the differences between the variations 
are much more subtle, more regular, and can be better organized into 
catagories.  All examples are blued, and many people find the blue finish to 
be more aesthetic than the parkerized finish.  The 1911A1s have a larger 
number of less well catagorizable variations, and much of the story of the 
WWII pistols is still being uncovered.  The WWI pistols may be the better 
choice for the person who likes to know exactly what he is dealing with.  The
subtle points of the WWI pistols, which we now do not know, however, may never
be known, because nearly all the people associated with their production are 
dead.  WWII pistols hold more promise for revealing their secrets to the 
diligent researcher.    

4.  Collect everything but Colts.  WWI had 4 manufacturers, only three of 
which had guns accepted by the military.  The non Colt manufacturers:  
Remingtom UMC, Springfield Armory, and North American, account for only a 
small percentage of guns produced, but a fairly significant number of 
variations.  The North American (they produced approximately 100 pistols) has 
developed a romantic following, and speculation has driven up prices to the 
point that hope of having an example is completely beyond any working person.
WWII had 5 manufacturers, all had guns accepted by the military.  The non Colt
manufacturers:  Remington Rand, Ithaca, Union Switch and Signal, and Singer 
account for most of the WWII production, and together account for a large 
number of variations.  The examples made by Singer (production of 500) are 
approaching the position of the North American in so far as being priced out 
of reach by speculators.

5.  Collect only militaries, or only commercials.  Some collectors are 
primarily interested in military subjects, and often have a collection which 
includes a broad sampling of guns from a specific group of countries, 
sometimes with a specific theme.  Such as "Guns Of The Polish Resistance," 
and sometimes with only a general theme such as "Guns Of WWII."  A loosely 
defined theme allows for more flexibility and to pick and choose the examples 
in a looser fashion, if that is what is preferred, because there is little 
chance that you will collect yourself into a corner.  Commercials have less 
variations, are better finished, and are much more aesthetically appealing 
to a certain type of collector.  Commercials, since they are better finished
than military guns, and the guns did not generally see military service, 
and to a certain group of collectors, only seem to be collectable if they 
are in nearly new condition.  Finding nearly new guns at reasonable prices 
is always difficult, but it is even more so due to sellers thinking that 
the commercial gun is worth as much as the equivalent military, whereas the 
military is expected to be in rougher condition, and will be a collectible 
example even if it has considerable wear or even be a reblue.  There are 
plenty of examples of both military and commercial guns to collect.  

6.  Collect only parkerized 1911A1s.  At a time past, the parkerized pistols 
were thought of as poor relations compared to the prestigeous blued 1911s, 
and many collectors did not consider them to be worthy of a place in their 
collection.  Some collectors still look down their noses at the parkerized 
examples, if the prices of blued guns that we see are any indication.  However
the history of the parkerized pistols is probably the most exciting area in 
the complete field.  Largely because much of the story of this group is only 
now coming to the surface.  A collector of modest means might do well to 
consider the parkerized examples, as the prices are more reasonable than the 
blued ones.

7.  Collect only blued 1911A1s.  Out of the total production of approximately
2.6 million 1911/1911A1s only about 35000 blued 1911A1s (1% of the total) 
were manufactured. The number of variations in this catagory is far greater 
than would be assumed from the total produced. Production spanned these years
(the number of variations in that year is shown in parenthesis):  1924(2),
1937(2), 1938(2), 1939(1), 1940(2),and 1941(5).  The 14 variation shown      4

comprise one of the most difficult to obtain sets that a collector could set
his sights on.  Yet the intrinsic appeal of these pistols, with their unique 
combination of features (numbered slide, commercial finish, unusual inspector
marks, large number of variations, and extreme rarity), seems to some 
collectors to be so strong as to eclipse the other pistols.  

8. Collecting only new condition examples may be one of the most wise 
strategies from a financial viewpoint, but because the pistols that have any 
amount of history associated with them usually have some degree of wear, this 
theme might give less satisfaction to the collector than would other themes, 
especially if the collector of new guns has a historical bent.  New guns are 
so seldom encountered, that the collector would probably have to buy whatever 
comes along, irrespective of how it fits into an existing collection or 
historical theme.  The result will almost inevitably be a collection which is 
a hodgepodge consisting of a few of the most common guns from here and there
but with no continuity and no really interesting guns at all.  This may be 
one of the least satisfying themes from an historical perspective, unless the
collector has limitless patience, for when one finds a rare gun, in new 
condition, it is indeed something worth writing home about.  The collector 
who wishes to have a complete and comprehensive historical collection, in 
new condition, is perhaps the most ambitious  and unrealistic of all.  
	I personally do not have much patience with these collectors, because
one of the things that I like to do for other collectors is to keep my eyes
open for examples that other people are looking for, so that I can steer them
to it.  I have only a couple of guns in nearly new condition and am always 
interested in upgrading the examples that I have, so that if I find a new gun 
at a bargain price,  I would almost certainly buy it myself.  Because even
though most of my guns have considerable wear, I am always interested in 
upgrading the not so great examples in my collection, So why would
I pass up this bargain and turn it over to someone else who could potentially
make a quick profit?  Asking someone to find bargains on only these most 
desirable items,  that they  can turn over quickly for a profit, is almost 
exactly like asking someone to: "Send me any $100 bills that you find laying 
around, however I will accept $50s and $20s if they are in really good 
condition, but don't waste my precious time with anything less than a $20.  
	It is for these reasons that the collector of new guns should
not expect to find much help from other collectors, because he is asking them
to turn over only the very best examples, and not to keep them themselves.
If someone asked me to look for only new guns for him, I would perhaps answer
with a question: "Just how stupid do you think that I am?"  Rare and seldom
encountered guns are now so rarely seen, that the collector must usually buy
whatever comes along, and then perhaps at some future date upgrade the examples
as better ones come along. 

9. Collecting all the variations of a particular mfg. such as U.S.& S. can be 
an intriguing theme, especially if there is some specific personal relationship
which binds you to that manufacturer. Such a tie might be:  being raised in the
same town or state as the factory, having a relative who worked there, having 
carried that manufacturers pistol in a war, or it may simply appeal to you.
Close proximity to the factory will, of course, give you a leg-up.

10. Collecting only the most rare and highly priced guns such as Singer
and North American, can result in a very small collection.  This may be ideal
for the person who likes to travel light

11. Collecting the pistols of only one manufacturer, such as Remington Rand or
Ithaca,  gives the opportunity to become an expert in your field, as it gives 
you the time to dig out all the available facts, without becoming sidetracked.

12. Collecting only presentation or specially marked give-away or experimental
examples such as the ERRS Remington Rands is a rather difficult theme 
because often the history of these arms is simply unknown, and if you have an
historical bent, you may be quickly frustrated.

13. Collecting only military national match examples by year may be one      5

of the most frustrating ideas, because even though the national match pistol 
specifications changed most years (which would seem to mean bountiful 
variations), most of the pistols were rebuilt over and over again, with no 
specific documentation, thus pure examples from any one year may not exist.

14. Collecting only 1911A1 Colts with numbered slides is perhaps one of the 
most promising areas of collecting, because these numbered slide guns are the
only .45 AUTOS that you can be sure are matching, and there are many variations
within the group.  By this reasoning these guns should command a premium price
and are perhaps where the smart money is.

15. Collecting only foreign contracts can be very challenging, and very tricky.
The price that you pay for a gun is related to the supply and demand, and if 
the supply increases dramatically, as we all have seen, when a batch of pistols
is imported into the country, and advertised in the Shotgun News, the price 
that the imports sell for is related to the condition of the guns, and often
these guns are refinished or in bad shape.  Good guns will retain value, but
not all their value, in spite of the availability of poor condition guns. At 
the very least, the pre-import guns will not increase in value as they would
have, also the desirability of the pre-import guns will become less because
they are now more common.  The collector may find that some of the money he 
has tied up up in his collection will evaporate at the whim of either the
government of a banana republic, or some wheeler-dealer importer.  The plus
side of this theme is that often the foreign contract guns can be bought for
very attractive prices.  Often it is a matter of knowing when to buy, because 
these bargains often dry up as quickly as they appear.  A bit of common sense 
is perhaps called for here, because when all of the examples are refinished, 
then refinished guns are not only collectable, but highly collectable, and to 
seek the holy grail is perhaps not a rational persuit.

16. Collect only Norwegian examples, both Colt and Norwegian made.  The 
Norwegian government purchased 300 (serial numbers around C 89xxx) commercial 
1911 pistols in Jan. 1917 as part of the contract to set them up to 
manufacture its own .45s.  The first production was in December 1917 when
100 model M1912 pistols (the slides were dated 1917), were produced.  The 
M1912 was very similar to the Colt M1911.  Most parts were numbered to match
the frame.  Before serious production began, the slide-stop was redesigned to
increase the length of the tang which the thumb pushes down on when closing
the slide.  Production pistols were marked M/1914 and the left side of the
slide is stamped with the Royal Family Crest.  Total production was just over
30,000 and continued through WWII.  During 1945 about 1100 of these pistols 
had the Royal Crest replaced by the WaA.  These pistols have established  a
premium position as far as price goes among the other Norwegians, including
the M/1912s which are far rarer and should bring far higher prices.

17. Collecting only South American Contracts such as Brazil, Argentina, 
and Mexico is one of the most interesting areas of collecting. (See article:
"The Just Barely prewar Colt .45 AUTOs" Automag Volume XXII pp.#93-98, 
August 1989.)  On the one hand, Most of the available examples can often be 
purchased for very reasonable prices.  On the other hand, many of these
pistols are refinished and will always be considered a reblue.  However, some 
of the examples, such as the Obregon, and Mexican contracts, have developed a 
glamour which has pushed up their prices to levels that are far beyond reason.
Most of the South American contract pistols and pistols made under Colt 
license are of the highest quality and are especially sought after by gunsmiths
for conversions to competition guns.  These conversions will eventually use up
the supply of the imported guns and since the conversions have no collector
value, the original guns should become scarce and highly desirable.  

18. Collecting only foreign variations such as the Norwegian, Ballister-
Molina, Obregon, or Asian copies made from shell fragments has the same 
drawbacks as the previous catagories, but the prices are even more volatile
and flexible because of the small production and plethora of variations. 
Often the owners of examples develop an inflated view of the value of their
possesions. One example I remember when I was offered a Vietnamese made home 6

workshop special.  The owner became very disappointed and stomped out when
I told him that I thought its value was only that of a shooter, if he is
lucky (or perhaps a lawsuit in addition if he is unlucky).

19. Collect only early 1911s such as examples with the circle around the horse.
These early pistols have an attraction to them that the later pistols seldom
have.  These early pistols are finished better (better polished), and have a 
kind of undefinable appeal to them. Perhaps the biggest drawback to these
early guns is the number of examples which have been expertly refinished.
This means that extreme care must be exercised in the examination of any of
these early examples. 

20. Collect only pistols with fire blued parts. The same comments which 
apply to #19 also apply, only the prices of these pistols are even higher, 
because the number of these guns  that were made is much smaller.

21. Collect only pistols with dimpled and transition magazine catches. The 
first approximately 3192 military pistols had a magazine release catch 
retainer which did not have a screwdriver slot as do the later examples, but
had a retainer which looked like a button with a dimple, or round recess in
it. These have become known as the dimpled magazine catch.  Starting at about
3192, Colt apparently decided to replace the dimpled catch with a slotted one.
However, in what seems to be true Colt tradition, rather than simply install
the new catches and discard the remaining old catches, Colt cut slots in the 
remaining dimpled catches and installed them for a period of time.  That 
period may have been until all the old stock was used up, or until the newly
designed slotted catches were available.  The number of these transition 
catches is not known as pistols in this range are not often seen.  My estimate
is that they do not go beyond serial #5000.  The same comments which apply to 
#19 also apply here, only the prices of these pistols are even higher, yet the
transition catches are not yet appreciated and there are perhaps some bargains
out there still.

22. Collect only U.S. Marine Corps issued pistols.  This theme might appeal to
a collector whose main interest is Marine Corps and would probably not expect
to have a large collection of pistols.  The biggest drawback to this theme is
that the distinction between pistols issued directly to the Corps and pistols
used by the Corps is rather technical to most people, and the prices that
these examples bring may be rather volatile and hard to predict, especially
since none of the guns are marked distinctively.

23. Collect only consecutively numbered pairs. This is one of the most 
restrictive themes that I can think of, since the military pistols did not 
normally stay together in pairs, and most of the military pistols which
were made are either lost or are not in the original configuration. (They were 
either destroyed, reworked, refinished, or modified.)  Most of the pairs that
I have seen have obviously been put back together after years of separation, 
and usually only after much effort to "make the pistols correct."  The price 
of any pair would be hard to define due to their extreme rarity.  However, if 
a pair was obviously put back together and worked on, it may sell for a high 
price yet still not even be particularly desirable.  Because the Military     
pistols almost never stayed together in pairs, extreme scrutiny would be 
recommended when any pair is found, as these pairs in untouched original
condition may be among the rarest of collectibles.   

24. Collecting  marked arsenal rework examples can again be a theme which will
allow a collector with a limited budget to put together a sizable and 
interesting collection. Here authenticity is often open to question, because 
by definition, a rework has been worked on and therfore nearly new examples
should probably be the ones that you try for, since reworks often have parts 
changed when the pistol is redone.

25. Collecting only X numbered reworks is a very fascinating theme, as most
of these reworks are built from guns that do not match, however it is often 
clear that these guns have been together for many years.  These guns were    7

usually items that were stolen, had the serial numbers defaced and then when
the guns were recovered, renumbered with the X prefix number.  Some of the 
later examples are one of a kind and are documented.  Thus if one were to want
a truly unique pistol, it may be possible to have one of these fill the bill.

26. Collect only duplicate serial numbered pairs. After many years of research
and work,  Fred Carpenter found actual examples of duplicate serials. These
are found in the early WWII production where Ithaca and Remington Rand 
duplicated the numbers used by Colt.  This theme might be ideal for the 
collector who is not really interested in collecting guns, but looking at 
them.  The chances of finding these pairs are vanishingly small, because the 
set of pistols that the collector has at his disposal, at any time, is such
a small fraction of the total, that the chances of finding the exact duplicate
are probably not worth pursuing.  (The military added an A suffix to one of  
the two of each pair that they found with their computers so as to be able to
distinguish the two.)  

27. Collect only pistols with both commercial and military markings.  WWI had
pistols with both the commercial and military markings on the slide.  These 
slides are usually referred to as replacement slides because they appear 
randomly in the higher wartime pistols, and the finish of the slide is
usually more of a commercial polish than the frame.  WWI 1911 military slides 
were marked on the right side, just forward of the ejection port with " MODEL 
OF 1911 U.S. ARMY. " The commercial slides (from which the conversions were 
taken) were marked " COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBRE  45 " in the same place that the 
military marking would normally occur.  Colt then applied the military marking
behind and below the ejection port.  The slides were not H proofed over the 
firing pin stop plate, but were obviously first commercial parts that had the 
military markings applied later, as the military markings were not in the 
normal place, but the commercial markings were.  The frames were H proofad and
marked in the normal manner.  The replacement slides of WWII were identical to
normal military slides, but marked "M1911A1 U.S. ARMY" on the right side.  
WWII had the "Commercial to Military Conversions" (from approximately 860000 
to approximately 865500),  These extraordinary pistols started as complete 
commercial guns with normal markings.  The "GOVERNMENT MODEL" and C prefix 
serial number on the frame, were obliterated and the "UNITED STATES PROPERTY",
"M1911A1 U.S. ARMY" and the military style serial number were applied where 
they would normally be.  The slides have "COLT AUTOMATIC CALIBRE .45" plus the
rampant Colt figurine, marked on the right side which would normally be 
left blank.  These pistols also originally had the slide numbered to match the
frame, this number too was obliterated, then the military number was applied.
These pistols even have the cutouts for the Swartz safety, but do not have the
Swartz parts.  WWII also had some examples of guns with both commercial and 
military markings which were probably due to Colt using up leftover parts.  
Finding these examples could be very challanging, as they appear randomly.

28. Collect only pistols without proofs or acceptance stamps.  These examples
are sometimes referred to as lunchbox specials, because these guns were often
pulled from production before either serials or other marks were applied.
Sometimes these pistols were stolen, and sometimes they were pulled from
production and were to be used as a presentation piece.  Presentation pieces
would sometimes have serial numbers which would end in zeros or some other 
distinctive number.  The factory records of these guns would probably be 
missing. One notable example is serial No. 1666000 which has no proof or 
acceptance mark, and the factory letter indicates no record of this pistol.
You can imagine the anticipation of the worker operating the number stamping
machine as he waited (with open lunch box at hand) for this number to come
up, only to have the foreman walk up and grab the pistol from his clutches.

29. Collecting only 1911/1911A1 Transition pistols is a rather limited set of
variations, but the Transitions include not only the two 1924 variations with 
their two associated acceptance marks, but the two 1937 variations (with and 
without the P proofs) as well.  (The "Transition" pistol is generally thought
of as having 1911A1 features, yet a slide marked "MODEL OF 1911 U.S.ARMY".)
Although this set is limited, it would be a very challenging set to complete. 8


30. Collecting only British marked pistols in cal.455 would more or less 
limit you to the W prefix serial numbered guns and the few early C prefix .455
guns which preceeded the W marked pistols, however there appears to be a 
rather large number of variations of these guns as the British were not 
particularly consistent in the manner that they marked these pistols.  The 
unfortunate aspect of these pistols is that most of them seem to have enough 
scratches and scuffs that they might have been used as grappling hooks, yet 
they still retain considerable value.  For this reason, many of these pistols 
have been refinished, and therefore pristine examples should be especially 
scrutinized and more especially by the beginning collector. 

 31. Collecting only lend lease pistols is another interesting area to collect
because the British were not consistent in the manner that they marked these
pistols, and there is evidence that the pistols were mixed up (mismatched) by
the British when they marked them.  Thus there is the potential for a large 
number of variations, many of which are in excellent condition.

32. Collecting only pistols in .38 Super cal. has already established a strong
following.  This may be due to the very limited production of these weapons
along with their popularity as a target caliber.  Be prepared to face stiff
competition, and pay high prices for the available examples. 

33. Collecting all variations of proof and acceptance marks is, in my opinion,
one of the best ways to start collecting, as it gives a broad foundation
which can be built on in many ways. 

34. Collecting only cutaways, factory and non factory, would be difficult to 
do with Colt 45s because of the small number of factory examples. This theme
may be better as the extention of a general cutaway collection such as that
of Joe Schroeder, editor of the Gun Collectors Digest.

35. Collect only contracts to a specific country, such as Canada. This is   
often such a restrictive theme that it might be better to have this theme as
part of a more general collection, such as "The Military Pistols of Canada."
Some countries such as Argentina have a larger number of variations, and there
the collector might feel less restricted.  

36. Collect only examples made in a specific year, such as:  your birth year,
Mil, Comm, Foreign, National Match, ACE, .38 Super, etc.  This theme can be an
extraordinarily interesting challenge, as everything that you collect has a 
personal touch, and each time that you make an acquisition, it is as if you
added something else to your person.  If however, you were born in the wrong 
year, you may find that not very many guns were made that year.  For example,
between 1924 and 1937 no Colt .45 AUTO Militaries were made.

37. Collect only 1911 Commercials.  There is a lot of appeal to the high polish
blued finish of these pistols.  This alone is enough to tempt someone to 
collect them, or at least to have a few represenative examples.

38. Collect only 1911A1 Commercials. The blued finish of the 1920-1930 
commercials has its own special type of appeal.  The blue is duller than the
very early 1911's, however it has color similar to cobalt glass, and is really 
extraordinarily beautiful.

39. Collect only Swartz Safety equipped examples.  The Swartz safety equipped
pistols are some of the most desirable and rarer examples, as there were
only a small number made, and it is the only functional modification made 
to the Colt .45 AUTO pistol (See article:  "The Just Barely Prewar Colt .45 
AUTOs"" Automag Volume XXII pp.93-98, August 1989).  These pistols have a lot 
going for them; their biggest drawback is the relatively limited number of 
variations.  

40. Collect only Service Model ACE pistols.  One facinating aspect of ACE 
pistols is that despite the small number made, it appears that there were     9

five inspectors,(CSR, RS, WB, GHD, and JSB) all of which are quite scarce. 

41. Collect only AMU (Army Marksmanship Unit) pistols. This is a rather 
limited and specialized theme, because even though there were a relatively 
large number of variations, the documentation on them is sketchy at best.

42. Collect only post WWII commercials. These pistols have the cost cutting  
refinements developed in the war (flatside hammer and plastic grips) and are
usually considered less appealing than the prewar pistols, however they have
their own appeal.  For example, the Coltwood (plastic) grips were used for 
only a short time and are quite scarce.  Collecting only postwar pistols has 
the advantage that the collector may actually be able to find enough "new in 
the box" examples to satisfy himself.  This is also a fairly new area in 
which to collect, competition may not be so stiff, and there is a lot of 
information on these pistols which needs to be documented.  Sub catagories
of postwar pistols include: 1946-1969 production, series 70, series 80, and 
series 90.

43. Collect only Engraved pistols, Factory and nonfactory.  Engraved pistols,
especially factory engraved examples, are not only very rare, but are very 
high priced, yet a non factory engraved pistol will seldom return the cost of
the engraving.  Engraving does not appeal to everyone.  This collection theme
is not for everyone.

44. Collect only rigs (guns with matching leather).  This is not an exact 
process since leather and pistols did not always go together in matched sets.
Being close is about as good as you can do with WWI pistols, and you seldom
even know if you are close with WWII pistols.

45. Collect only pre-production examples (prototypes, pilot runs, etc.)  These
pistols are extremely rare and are usually beyond the reach of most collectors.
If one should be lucky enough to stumble onto one of these, it would make a
respectable collection in itself, however the chances of finding another are 
now vanishingly small.

46. Collect only pistols documented as having seen specific service.  Unless 
the theme is Army or Navy pistols, the number of examples to collect will be
very limited.  Only documented examples, in contrast to a good story, should 
command a premium price.  

47. Collect uniquely marked examples such as inscribed or unit marked.  Pistols
in this catagory are generally unique, but since anything goes, one would have
to be very wary of fakery.

48. Collect examples as they strike your fancy with the hope that a theme 
for the collection will present itself.  While this is a lot of fun (the kid
in the candy store effect), it is a quick way to the poorhouse.  Establishing
a collection which will maintain interest usually requires discipline.   

49. Collect only leather, accesories, and related items, such as Squad 
cleaning kits, shipping boxes, catalogs, manuals, take down tools, storage 
racks, ammunition, factory tools, roll dies, parts, documentation, serial 
number data, production records, and of course stories, both written and oral.
Many people who for one reason or another do not collect pistols, find their
field here.  This theme makes a natural partner to almost any serious pistol 
collection, and most collectors augment their collection with these items.  
The biggest problem with these items is their lack of documentation.  Outright
fakery can be responsible for the existence of some items. (I remember a 
matched set of Luger front sight adjusting tools residing on an old wood stand
that looked as if it was snatched from the DWM factory as a war souvenir. 
After considerable time, however, it became clear from the twinkle in the 
owners eye, the pride he took in the design of the device, and certain 
statements,  that he had made a bunch of them up himself, and there probably
never was such a thing as a "set of three" tools.) 
                                                                            10

50. Collecting only NAVY marked pistols might appeal to someone with a Navy
background, or someone with a family member who served in the Navy, or 
just someone who feels that there is something special about these NAVY 
marked guns.  The Navy pistols are much rarer than the Army marked pistols,
as only about 15,075 were made compared to over 600,000 Armys.  It is rather
obvious that the Navy had more than 15,075 pistols issued to it, however only 
the early guns were distinctively marked, and are therefore especially sought
after and collectible.

51. Collecting only Commemoratives might appeal to someone who wants to 
know exactly what he is getting.  The Commemoratives are usually only 
desirable when they are unfired and new in the box, therefore the only 
question that you must ask is:  "Is it new, unfired, and complete?".  The 
disadvantages of these guns are obvious:  you cannot shoot them.  Examples 
of Commemoratives are:  The 4 pistol WWI set, the 2 pistol WWII set, the NRA 
centennial .45 Gold Cup/National Match, and the Jimmy Lile "Lone Wolf" 
Gonzaullas Commemorative.

52. Collect Clones.  There have been early manufacturers which have made copies
of the .45 Auto that have gone out of business, and their pistols are now 
collectable, examples include:  Drake; GH Gun Co., San Antonio Texas; Ranger
Machine Tool Co., South El Monte Ca.; Day Arms Co.; San Col Mar Industries;
and Quality Hardware and Machine Co.

53. Collecting Reblues, mismatches, imports, junkers, shooters and anything 
unusual might be perfect for the person who loves guns, but has little 
money and less patience.  The advantage of this catagory is that for the same
money that a collectable gun would cost, you might be able to buy four or 
five of these and have fun playing with and shooting them.     

54. Collect any combination of these catagories.  The total number of 
combinations of these catagories is so large a number that no one should feel
that there is nothing left to collect which is new.  Collect what gives you 
satisfaction.

				HISTORY

	M1911/M1911A1s perhaps more than other pistols are identified by serial
numbers.  The serial numbers, with a few exceptions which will be covered 
later, go consecutively from 1 to 2693613.  Perhaps the first thing that 
should be noticed about a gun is the serial, because the serials were applied
consistently and in numerical order, and any changes that Colt and the other
manufacturers made generally followed the numerical sequence.  The first 
exception  is the contract given to The Remington Union Metalic Cartridge 
Company in WWI for 21676 guns, which had its own serial number range 
allocated.  These numbers ran from 1 to 21676.  However, since the markings of
these guns were so distinctive, there should be no ambiguity or confusion 
between these Remington UMC guns and the Colt guns with like serial numbers.
The second exception to the sequential numbering came in the 1943 production
of the M1911A1 where Colt appears to have duplicated the serial numbers 
assigned to Remington Rand, Ithaca, and The Union Switch And Signal Co. 
between approximately 856037 and 1096404.  (See Fred Carpenters article: 
"M1911A1 PISTOLS Duplication and the A-Suffix" in the May 1986 issue of The 
Gun Report.)  The last exception to the sequential numbering is a series of 
guns which were lost, or stolen, and had the serial numbers altered, defaced, 
or removed.  During the period 4-24-24 to 10-15-53, as the guns were recovered,
new numbers were applied by Springfield Armory.  These numbers ran from:
X1000 to X4385 and thus duplicated the first Colt production, but had an X
prefix on the number.  Starting in approximately 1948 other Arsenals also 
rebuilt and renumbered stolen pistols untill about 1957.  The serial numbers 
of these pistols ran from X2693614 to X2695212.  Here however there was no 
duplication of numbers, as these numbers started where the M1911A1 numbers 
ended.
	A list of the serial numbers could therefore identify any particular
example as to being part of a subgroup with readily identifiable markings 11

and characteristics, and will tell you almost all that there is to know about 
the way that the gun should look.  In May 1986 Dave Buehn published what is
still the best list of serial numbers and associated comments with regard to
changes, markings, dates, and characteristics.  Dave promises to publish a new 
version of this list in AUTOMAG as soon as his booklet is published. I will
not attempt to duplicate his effort here.  However, what I will present is a 
thumbnail sketch of the variations as they progress through the number 
sequence.   
	What follows is a summary of the most notable markings and 
characteristics of the M1911/M1911A1:	  
	Colt manufactured pistols were accepted and stamped by Walter G. 
Penfield from number 1 through approximately number 100 with the WGP stamp 
horizontal, and then with the WGP stamp vertical through number 72570 where 
Springfield Armory made their first batch of (11285) pistols.  These 
Springfield pistols were marked with a flaming bomb on the slide and frame.  
	The first 500 pistols were marked "MODEL OF 1911 U.S.ARMY" on the 
slide and the second 500 were marked "MODEL OF 1911 U.S.NAVY" on the slide. 
For about the first 14,000 pistols, the shipments alternated back and forth 
between the Army and the Navy with a small batch (3501 through 3800) going to 
the U.S.Marine Corps.  These U.S.M.C. pistols had ARMY marked slides.  Of 
these first 14,000 pistols, 7,000 were NAVY marked.  Three more batches of 
Navy marked pistols were made:  38001 through 44000 (6,000), 95976 through 
97550 (1,575), and 109501 through 110000 (500).  All of the first 7,000 Navy 
marked pistols and the pistols between approximately 42000 and 44000 had a 
circled horse at the rear of the slide.  The corresponding Army marked 
pistols only had the circled horse through approximately 20000.  The uncircled
horse was moved to the center of the slide at about No.275000.  The 95976 
through 97550 pistols were shipped to the U.S. Marine Corps. and were the only
"NAVY" marked pistols sent to the U.S.M.C.  The 109501 through 110000 (500) 
pistols,  in addition to being the last  "NAVY" marked batch, are the only GHS
inspected NAVY, and the only NAVY inspected by anyone other than WGP.  With a 
total production of only 15075 pistols the NAVY is one of the most highly 
prized of all the M1911s, while some of the more distinctive batches are 
especially sought after.  The U.S.M.C. pistols, while being even rarer than 
the NAVYs, are in no way distinguishable from a common ARMY marked pistol 
except for the serial number, and will probably be less sought after than the 
NAVY marked pistols.  The 95976 through 97550 batch is another story, being 
both navy marked and U.S.M.C. issued.  
	After the interuption for Springfield production, WGP was again
stamped on Colt pistols from number 83856 through approximately number 100000,
where subsequent Colt guns were accepted by Gilbert H. Stewart (GHS). There
were three more batches of Springfield pistols.  Their serial numbers were 
interlaced with the serials of the Colt produced guns.  These batches of 
Springfields ran from 102597 to 107596, from 113497 to 120566, and from 125587
to approximately 127890.  The numbers from 127891 through 133186 were 
originally assigned to Springfield Armory, but the guns are clearly of Colt 
manufacture, they lack the normal Colt proofmarks and acceptance stamps, and 
are a highly desirable variation.  Gilbert H. Stewart continued to inspect 
Colt pistols till approximately 230000, when John M. Gilbert took over, and 
continued till approximately 302000.  Here wartime production apparently got 
into full swing and the inspectors cartouche was replaced with an eagle's head
with a number below it.  This continued through the end of the M1911 
production.  629500 was the last M1911 produced.  There was no apparent 
duplication at any time during which the 1911 pistols were made.
	In 1918 a contract was given to the Remington Union Metalic Cartridge
Co. of Bridgeport Conn. to produce the M1911 pistol.  In 1918 Remington UMC
delivered 13252, and in 1919 they delivered 8524 pistols.  At this time there
were no complete official ordnance gages or drawings and  interchangability
of parts was achieved by Colt and Remington working together closely.  These 
pistols had an eagle proof with the initials E.E.C. (E.E. Chapman) on the 
frame and an E proof on the mainspring housing, grip safety, and slide 
(above the firing pin stop plate).  Some pistols had an eagle, identical to 
the frame proof but smaller, as the slide proof.  Colt 1911s had an H as the
slide proof, which was also stamped above the firing pin stop plate.  The 
barrels of UMC guns had a P proof on top that was visible through the      12

ejection port.  The finish of these guns was a coarse brushed texture 
with an almost black finish.  
	At the beginning of the wartime production, Colt apparently did some
experimenting with the finish of the guns, as the pistols 1n the 300000 to
375000 range generally have a well polished finish,  but a blue that is quite
soft.  Many guns in this range have little or no finish, especially on the 
grip straps.  Later pistols have a coarser brushed finish with an almost black 
color. 
	The magazines of WWI pistols are all "two-tone" with the lower 3/5
blued, and the upper 2/5 bare metal.  Pistols up to about 215000 have 
magazines with a lanyard loop on the bottom, and there are at least four
variations of these:  The earliest are almost certainly the ones with the 
stepped bottom where the tubing, which forms the sides, does not go all  
the way to the bottom of the baseplate.  The second version may be the so
called "keyhole" mag. which has a hole and slot punched in its rear upper 
wall.  This slot may have been to stop the cracking in the upper rear corners
of the magazine where it was brazed to form the cartridge feed lips.  The 
third lanyard loop version has a plane bottom and plain back.  This is almost
certainly the last version as it is by far the most common.  The first two
are usually seen in early pistols.  The Keyhole version may have been a 
temporary attempt to solve some problem, and it may  have been a temporary 
modification to the third type as well since it is quite similar in finish.  
The finish of the military magazines was a brushed blue, and the commercials 
were identical but highly polished.  The early commercials may have never had 
the first two types of magazines.  Springfield made Pistols had magazines with
a lanyard loop and sides which wrapped over the bottom and were brazed to it.
There was a copper spot on the upper rear, the exact purpose of which is 
unknown.   
	Through at least the first 3500 pistols (probably more), the barrels
had a horizontal H with serifs as a proof on the back of the barrel hood, 
along with a number stamped on the barrel in front of the lug.  This H is 
identical to the H stamped on the slide above the firing pin stop plate. 
Sometime after, the horizontal H with serifs was changed to a vertical H
without serifs at about the same time that the slide proof was changed to a 
vertical H without serifs.  I believe that this continues through at least 
serial number 13571.  
	For some time the accepted "facts" were that the H marked barrels
should be in pistols only through serial No. 500.  I suspect that many an
untouched gun has had its correct barrel removed and thrown out because of 
the common notion that these barrels were used only through serial number 500,
and that thereafter all barrels had the P H proof on the top.  (Is it not a 
sad state of affairs when guns owned by collectors are almost always suspect 
because of the parts swappers out there who have to make their guns "CORRECT"?)
There is however, considerable question as to when the H marking was 
changed to the later P H marking.  But all later Colt M1911 militaries  
appear to have a P H proof on the top of the barrel.  The earlier P H marked 
barrels had the P and H separated by approximately 0.2", where as on the later
barrels, the P and H were touching.   
	All M1911s had checkered walnut grips with large diamonds around the
grip screws.  The grips made by Springfield had slightly larger diamonds 
around the grip screws.	 Below about No. 510000, all militaries should be 
marked "UNITED STATES PROPERTY" on the left front of the frame, and above 
510000 the marking should be on the right rear above the serial number. 

	After WWI several changes in the M1911 were approved and it was 
decided to change the designation of the gun to M1911A1, and any M1911A1
production would start at No. 700001.  A detailed list of the characteristics 
of pistols manufactured between WWI and WWII was published recently in 
Automag, (see article:  "The Just Barely prewar Colt 1911A1 Military" Automag 
Volume XXII pp.#93-98, March 1990.) and will not be duplicated here, but again
I will present a sketch of the period. 
	In 1924 a contract was given for 10,000 pistols (apparently to try out 
the changes to the M1911 that had been approved) which were numbered from
700001 to 710000.  These pistols still had the M1911 slide marking and are 
referred to as Transitions.  No other militaries were made until 1937 when 13

2349 pistols numbered 710001 through 712349 were made.  At 710001 Colt started
numbering the slide (under the firing pin stop plate) to match the frame,   
which Colt continued till about No. 1138000, at about which time, they 
changed from the milled trigger to the stamped version.  The last known 
numbered slide is 1137712.  At 710001 Colt also started to mark the left 
front triggerguard bow with the Verified proof stamp which they had used 
on commercial pistols from the start.  There are at least two variations 
in the markings of this batch.  1938 saw the production of only 1296 pistols 
numbered 712350 through 713645.  There are again at least two variations 
in the markings of this 1939 batch.  In 1939, 3636 pistols were produced,
and numbered 713646 through 717281, all went to the U.S.NAVY.  All pistols seem
to be marked identically with an HP proof.  The HP proof probably carried over
into 1940, but was shortly replaced by the cartouche of Maj. Charles S. Reed 
(C.S.R.), who inspected pistols from about 717725 through 723000.  Shipments of
the C.S.R. inspected pistols carried over into early 1941 when Robert Sears
(who inspected guns from about 723000 through 750500) took over.  At this point
the pistols still had a blued finish and walnut grips.  Very soon the walnut 
grips were replaced by plastic, (probably in the beginning of the R.S. period)
and shortly thereafter the finish was changed to parkerizing (probably about
736000).  Still in 1941, Robert Sears was replaced by Waldemar Broberg (WB),
who inspected guns from approximately 750500, through approximately 856100,
and took the Colt guns through the end of 1942.  
	The last lot of pistols which were sent directly to the U.S.NAVY
ran from No.793658 to No.797641 (3982).  The educational contract to the 
Singer Mfg. Co. ran from S800001 to S800500 (500). The educational contract
to the Harrington and Richardson Co. was assigned numbers from H800501 to
H801000.  The contract was cancelled and pistols with these numbers should 
not exist.  Numbers from 856101 to 856404 were assigned to arsenals for 
renumbering of pistols and little is known of this group, or indeed if they
even exist.  
	Early in 1943 part of Colts production (from about 860000 to 865500) 
consisted of commercial guns which were re-marked with military numbers and 
had the military markings added, then parkerized.  These pistols retain the 
commercial slide markings and the Swartz Safety cut-outs in the slides and 
frames.  (See article:  " The Just Barely prewar Colt .45 AUTOs"" Automag 
Volume XXII pp.#93-98, August 1989.)   
	In the last part of 1942, Ithaca Gun Co. shipped its first batch of 
pistols 856404 through 856464, which marked the first of the pistols whose 
serial numbers were apparently duplicated by The Colt Co.  At least some of 
these first Ithaca pistols were numbered with an I prefix to the number.  
Very little is known about these early Ithaca pistols, due to their extreme
scarcity, but there is evidence that Ithaca was also given an educational 
contract as was Singer, whose pistols were numbered with an S prefix.  
	It appears that in 1943 Colt duplicated the serial numbers of the 
Ithaca Gun Co., from 856405 through 916404;  the serial numbers of the 
Remington Rand Co., from 916405 through 958100; and the serial numbers of the 
Union Switch and Signal Co., from 1088726 through 1092896.           
	The early Remington Rand pistols (from 916405 through approximately
928000) are probably the most interesting Remingtons, as they have parts,
finish, and marking which are very different from the later production (see
article:" Early Remington Rand and Ithaca Small Parts" Automag Volume XXIII 
pp.#136-140, Sept. 1990).  The later Remingtons have two slide marking 
variations where the size of the lettering was reduced.
	The Union Switch and signal Co. of Swissvale Pa., was given a contract
to make M1911A1s, but the contract was cancelled after they had delivered 
55000 pistols numbered 1041405 through 1096404.  The top of the slide is P
proofed on later pistols (after about 1060000), the first P proofed pistols
may be P proofed on the left rear upper edge of the slide.  The inspector 
stamp on these pistols is R.C.D. (R.C. Downie).  
	1943 saw the beginning of WWII mass production, as more pistols were 
made that year than in the entire WWI period.  When production was underway 
few changes appear to have been made to the pistols.  Production ended in 
1945, with many of the assigned numbers at the end of the sequence never 
having been made due to contract cancelations.  
	Colt Pistols were inspected by Guy H. Drewry from about 856100 to   14

2360000 (Colt only made a fraction of the pistols in this range), after this
John S. Breen took over and inspected pistols to about 2380000.  Some of the 
Colt produced pistols around 2360000 have no inspector stamp at all. 
(2366848 has no stamp.) 
	 The Pistols made by both The Ithaca Gun Co. and Remington Rand Co. 
were inspected under the authority of Frank J. Atwood (FJA).     
	The Quartermaster Corps wheel was added to Colt pistols about
No. 830000
	The barrels of late Colt pistols have a C in a box cartouche marked on
the barrel lug, whereas early Colts have barrels marked "COLT .45 AUTO" on the
underside of the barrel.   Barrels for Remington Rand, Ithaca, and Union 
Switch and Signal Co. should probably be marked HS (High Standard). 
	Magazines for wartime production M1911A1 pistols should have an all 
blued finish with a letter stamped on the upper surface of the tongue plate
(S, R, L, or possibly G).  Magazines for prewar Colt M1911A1s should probably 
be fully blued and have a brushed finish with "COLT .45 AUTO" stamped on the 
bottom.  The transition pistols (1924) may have magazines that are:  two tone,
all blue, or all blued with "COLT .45 AUTO" stamped on the bottom.  The record
here, is very muddy due to the parts swappers.
	The grip panels of pistols starting at 700001 are probably fully 
checkered walnut with a coarse checkered pattern that usually appears to be
slightly thin in texture, and definitely not sharp.  These grips are identical
to the grips on the commercial pistols of the period.  At least two sources
of replacement grips have been available for some time, so extreme care must 
be excercised in observing these grip panels.  These grips continue untill 
the 72xxxx serial range where they change to the plastic grips of WWII. The
exact point of change has not been precisely determined.  
	Colt Commercial .45 Auto pistols were first shipped in 1912 as were 
the militaries.  The first commercial and military pistols were both finished
with a high polished blue, which was objected to by the military for reasons 
that are only too obvious, and was changed to a dull blue on the militaries 
at about serial number 2400.  These first commercial pistols were finished in
a mirror polish deep blue black, together with small parts finished in a 
bright peacock blue, which is often referred to as "Fire Blue".  By about 
serial number C5000, the finish had changed to a blue gray color, which was
still mirror polished, but the small parts also had changed to a darker blue
gray rather than the spectacular peacock blue.  Any of these early pistols are
highly prized when found in original condition, although few are found that
way.  The Highly polished finish of the Government model changed to a duller
but more blue color at a later date, but when this was done has not been
precisely determined.  
	Just before the 1911A1 changes were incorporated in the commercials, 
Colt started numbering the slide under the firing pin stop plate.  The 
earliest known numbered Government Model is C129471, which still has walnut 
grips with the large double diamonds around the grip screws.  Sometime 
later the grips were changed to solid checkering with no diamonds.
At about the same time the magazine was changed to solid blue.  Around
C186000 the Swartz safety was added to the Government Models and National 
Match pistols, however, it was apparently not added to the foreign contract
pistols of the same period.  This makes the Swartz Safety equipped pistols   
very rare, again because the foreign purchases accounted for most of Colts
production. 
	By WWII Colt had made just over 200,000 commercial Government Models 
and National Match pistols.  Most of the 200,000 were foriegn contracts; the 
largest contract was to the Russian Government for 50,000 pistols in 1915.  
Bill Goddard states that for the 1911 design, the 11 largest contracts alone 
accounted for 83,444 out of the total of 138,541 produced.  Other countries 
that placed orders include:  Mexico, England, Peru, Canada, India, France, 
Norway, Argentina, philippines, Netherlands, Guatemala,China, Brazil, 
South Africa, Chili, and Canal Zone.
	The commercial  .45s have less variations than the militaries, and 
Colt was probably less consistent with the commercials in the phaseing in 
and out of the various production changes.  Many of the changes which were
instituted into the commercial pistols were a result of changes which
started with the military pistols.  For example the change from the 1911 to  15

the 1911A1.  Since Colt was probably less consistent in implementing these 
changes in the commercials, they do not fall into as neat groups as do the
militaries, and are consequently not as interesting to some collectors.  
There may be another group of collectors who find this characteristic 
irresistible,  just as some men find women with red hair to be irresistible.  
Collectors of commercials will more quickly run the risk of collecting 
themselves into a corner than will the collector of militaries because there 
are less commercial variations to collect, and those variations are more 
subtle and less consistent.     

			WHAT TO  DO!

Most of the axioms which are true for other gun collecting fields, are true 
for the 1911 .45:
	Always buy the best examples which you can afford.  This can be a
painful lesson for the beginner, for you can almost always sell the very
best guns, but you may have a lot of trouble finding someone who is interested
in a gun in less than pristine shape.  A hard learned rule could be: Never pay
more for a gun than you could sell it for.  I regularly break this rule.  
Really super condition guns are becomming harder and harder to find, and when
they are found, their prices are often much higher than they are worth, and
sometimes the collector will go many years before finding an example to fill
that hole in the collection, but when that example is finally found, it might
have almost no finish.  Should you buy this example, with the intention of 
upgrading it later when a really pristine example comes along?  Again the hard
learned rule is that you cannot sell a gun for more than another collector
is willing to pay for it.  If you buy a rare gun with almost no finish you will
find that most collectors will have little interest in it unless the price is
that of a shooter.  If you use the ads of the national dealers as price guides
and expect to sell guns at these prices, you will probably be disappointed
when you try, because most of the sales from these ads come from collectors 
that are either isolated and do not have access to gun shows, are beginning
collectors and have not tried to sell any of their guns, or are wood-work
collectors who do not have enough exposure to realistically assess the selling
price of collector guns.  Most of the time these ads show guns with little 
finish at prices which approach the prices of pristine examples.  This is
of course what the gun dealers would wish everyone to believe, that is:  
rare guns are worth much more than common guns irrespective of how much 
original finish they have, or if they have some other defect.  It simply isn't
so.  The only way that you can sell guns at the prices shown in the ads of the
national dealers is if you have access to the same isolated audience as does 
the dealer who sends out a mailer to an isolated and loyal clientele.  Even 
then the dealer has a lot more trouble selling not so good guns as he does 
with pristine guns.  You might womder why you almost never see really great 
guns advertised (rare guns in pristine condition).  The reason is that these 
guns are sold before they ever reach the published catalog, and what is seen 
is only a part of the action, as in watching a ballgame through a hole in the
fence.  Dealers have lists of people with specific wants who will usually
pay premium prices for their wants, again you do not have access to these 
buyers.  Threfore there is nothing wrong with buying a gun with little finish,
as long as the selling price is realistically assessed, and this selling 
price will probably be little more than a shooter.  Someday as rare guns get 
rarer, the prices of these well worn examples will go up, but this will only
happen as the number of collectors goes up, and you may be dead and gone, when
and if it happens.  Most of the examples in my collection are well worn and 
are far from pristine, in fact I could not have afforded to buy pristine
examples, but now I have something to satisfy myself with untill I find the
example with more finish.  A collection of not so pristine guns will enable
someone with modest means to have a collection which has historical 
significance and continuity.  Collecting only pristine examples would almost
exclude continuity for most people of modest means, which is most people.     

	Always buy examples with original finish.  A rare gun which has been
reblued will always be a shooter and worth little more than a shooter. However
if you do not pay more than a shooter price for it, you will probably not 
loose anything.                                                            16


	Always buy examples that are all original. Do not assume that 
because a defect is not important to you that some future buyer will not care. 
If you do wish to buy a gun with a defect, realistically assess the effect of
the defect on the selling price and your ability to find a buyer.

	Always buy examples that are unaltered and unmodified. Any alterations 
done to a pistol waves a red flag to any prospective buyer who will suspect
any and all possible fakery to have been done.  Any rework must be explicitly
documented for it to be considered "factory done."  Assume that any rework  
is nonfactory unless it is documented.  Oral claims mean nothing, especially
when it comes time to sell the gun. If you do wish to buy a gun that has been
modified, realistically assess the effect of the modification  on the selling 
price and your ability to find a buyer.

	Always closely examine the exterior for signs of rework, refinishing,
abuse, parts swapping, scratches, cold blue, magazine marking, sights,and 
grip-screws.

	Always at least field strip the pistol to check the correctness, 
condition, and marking of the barrel, and inside marking of the frame.

	Always check the weapon for correct functioning.  You may not even
consider shooting a super rare gun, but if any part of it is broken or missing,
most other collectors would consider it to be a serious defect, and you would 
have trouble selling the gun when it becomes necessary to do so, and you may
still wish to buy the gun, but you can perhaps get a lower price.

			WHAT NOT TO DO!!

	Never buy a gun through the mail unless you are absolutely certain 
what the finish should look like on an original .45 of the period.  Because 
when you receive the pistol for your three day examination, it may look fine.
and the dealer who is selling it may tell you that it has the original finish.
But once the three days are up, the gun is yours.  And later when someone 
knowledgeable looks at it and informs you that it has been refinished, you are
then really stuck with it, since you now know that it isn't correct. 

	Never buy a gun through the mail unless you are absolutely certain
that you know what the smallparts, sights, grips, and barrel look like and 
how they are marked on a correct .45.  Because if you do not know what they 
should look like,  then it is only a matter of time until you are bamboozled
by a predator.

	Never buy a gun through the mail unless you have seen the finish of
a similar original gun.  The more examples examined, the better.

	Never buy a gun unless you closely examine the grip screws, and the 
magazine catch for signs of restoration.  These screw heads are actually one
of the most telling signs of tampering, because on a military pistol at least,
the grips are almost always removed by some GI or some GI Armorer, and the
proper hollow ground screwdriver is seldom at hand.  The result is that most
pistols have screws that show some abuse, and the type of abuse that is 
normally seen is quite apparent.  The grip screws that appear to show no sign 
of abuse should probably be examined most carefully under a magnifier.  It is 
really quite difficult to rework the head of a gripscrew and not leave signs 
of tampering.  When seen under a magnifier, the edges of the slot should be
sharp with no sign of pitting.  The toolmarks in the rounded portion of the 
surface should be completely circular, as when they were cut on a lathe.  
There should be no sign of parallel cuts or oblique contours.  These are 
signs of handfiling and are obvious signs of rework.  The width of the slot 
of all four screws should be the same and correct.  Too wide a slot indicates 
rework.  Most replacement screws either show signs of burrs on the edges, or 
show signs of rounding of the edges when they were deburred.  The notion is  17

then if rework of any type is spotted, then the whole gun must be suspect.

	Never buy a gun unless you closely examine the area surrounding the
take-down pins for signs of restoration, as many guns have bungs around the
pin where the take down tool slipped.

	Never buy a gun without removing the grips to examine the finish 
underneath, and to check the grip screw bushings for stripping, breakage, and 
looseness (signs of restoration or abuse).

	Never buy a gun unless you examine the gun in light that resembles
sunlight.  Incandescent has a lot of red in it, which tends to hide rust and 
beneath the surface rusting, mottling, and discoloration.

	Never buy a gun unless you know what the magazine for that particuluar
gun should look like and how it should be marked.  Because while the lack of
a proper magazine may not be seen as a great drawback, finding a proper 
magazine that exactly matches the finish of the gun in question is another
matter, and may perhaps involve considerable expense.

	Never hesitate to ask questions, because the answer to a question can
tell you whether or not someone is blowing smoke more quickly than listening 
to hours of prepared bull.

	You will soon find that most of the dealers who occasionally sell
.45s are very nice people, have a knowledgeable air about them, will
not hesitate to speak authoritatively about .45s and any other gun that they
have for sale, but are almost completely ignorant of the finer points regarding
these pistols.	Dealers who sell pistols are generally not collectors of what
they sell, and if they are, what they are selling is what they need to get rid
of.  Therefore there may be something that is wrong with it, and don't expect
the dealer to tell you why he is selling it.  In the final analysis, it is up
to you to determine the correctness of the gun, because once you buy it, you 
are stuck with it, and if you pay too much for the gun and want to sell it,
you will have to take a lot less for it, or you will have to be more dishonest
than the merchant who sold it to you, and you will probably find that he is 
better at it than you are.

	How do I get smart?  First be skeptical of anything that you hear, 
read, or are told.  Things must make sense to you, because it is ultimately 
you who must make the buy/don't buy decision, and you who will be stuck with 
the gun if it isn't correct.

	Memorize the serial number lists.  Always carry a copy of the best 
serial list that you have.  With 1911/1911A1s, the serial number tells you
most of what you need to know about what the particuluar gun should look like.
If you do not know what the pistol should look like, you can be sold anything.

	Look at as many guns as possible.  Go to the gun shows.  If possible,
travel to the big gun shows, especially the ones where individual collections
are displayed.  Take a magnifier with you.  Look closely at the fine detail of
the finish, etc.                                                             

	Ask questions.  Ask yourself:  Do the answers make sense?  If there is 
something fishy about the answers, is the guy just ignorant or is he a crook?
When someone says that he doesn't know the answer to your question, don't 
write him off as a big dummy and then go find someone else who will tell you
what you want to hear.  If you find yourself wanting to hear a specific answer
or story, then you are not yet to the point where you can make objective 
decisions.  When you are anything less than willing to let the facts speak for
themselves, you will probably color any results which may be arrived at.  
"I don't know," is a perfectly good answer to many questions related to guns.
Gun collectors generally try to discover the history that relates to their 
particular interest, but the whole story is almost never known, especially 
when the question "why" is asked.  There are very few times that I can      18

remember when the "why" was ever fully answered, largely because the "whys"
are almost never written down.  I can remember many occasions when I was 
asked "why did they do this" or "why did they do that" and when I say 
"I don't know"  I can see the hurt look on their faces, and I know that they 
are going to go on to someone else who will give them a good  story, and 
eventually they will find someone with the correct line of bull that will 
satisfy them.  This type of person is what the salesman uses for cannon 
fodder.  Never forget that gun dealers are, above all else--salesmen, and 
salesmen are masters at psychology, and you probably aren't.  Purge the 
emotions, and stick to the facts.  Just the facts.

	Find another gun collector who has more experience than you do in .45
autos.  Try and help him and he will probably help you.  If someone is a 
real hardnose and will not help you, then keep looking  Most gun collectors
are good people.  Read as much as you can about the areas you are interested
in.  You will find that you don't have to know very much in order to know 
more than most people.  Keep a notebook that you can carry with you to gun
shows, and write down the serial numbers of anything even vaguely interesting.
Read Bill Goddard's and Bady's books.  Bady is by now pretty dated, but it
makes interesting material for discussion.  Try to find a copy of Frank Gregg's
.45 collectors guide.  It's still the best introduction for the beginner.  
Write letters to the collectors who contribute to AUTOMAG.  Ask if they know
any .45 collectors in your area.  Ask all the dealers at gun shows if they
know of anyone who collects .45 AUTOs in the area.  A fellow collector is the
best resource that you can find.  Arrange to meet a fellow collector at gun 
shows.  Talk over what you see.  If you can find a fellow collector who will
allow you to examine his collection, ask questions and listen.            

	Try to get old copies of AUTOMAG and read them all.  When you
see something that seems odd or strange, first talk to all the collectors
you know, then dig through all the reference material that you have at your 
disposal.  If you are not satisfied, write in your question to AUTOMAG.  Do
not be discouraged by the "stern schoolmasterly response" that you may 
occasionally get.  Keep thinking, and keep asking questions.  Try to keep in
your head the differences in finish that original Colt guns had as the years 
progressed.  Try to keep clear the differences between the finish of the
military examples and the commercial examples.  The very early guns, in 
original condition, are so rare that you may never see one until one is
offered for sale at a very high price.  The questions that face you are multi
faceted.  Since the gun is very rare, it is very expensive, but is it very
correct?  A gun that will bring a lot of money is also a gun that someone 
would be willing to put a lot of effort into restoring.  For if the money that
he puts into the gun can be more than made up, he will still be further ahead 
if he cheats you.  The more that you pay for a gun, the more that you can 
lose.  It seems then that there is for any type of gun, a maximum price that
you should pay.  This price relates to the amount that it would cost to restore
(phoney up) the gun to the state that it is in, and when the cost of a gun
exceeds this amount, then you must be at least that much more sure of the
gun's authenticity.  Because if you are wrong, and the gun has been altered
by a dishonest person, you will be stuck with the loss.  This must be so, 
because if you are an honest person, you will not be willing to cheat 
someone else just because you were cheated.  Dealing in guns or dealing in 
horses is a lot like politics;  if you want to be successful, you had 
better be prepared to get some dirt on you.  This does not say that a
collector cannot remain scrupulously honest-- far from it.  However, if you    
intend to profit by the enterprise of collecting, you will be competing with
a lot of very experienced horse traders.  For example, there are a lot of 
people who specialize in going to all the gun shows, with the intention of
finding a gun that has been messed with; buying it for a bargain price; fixing
it up by changing parts; swapping parts; buying a few reproduction parts;
"putting the sights back the way they were", tossing on a set of repro. grips;
and adding a touch of cold blue here and there, and then selling it while
representing it as an original piece.  You may think that "so and so" would 
never do a thing like that because he is a really nice guy.  But being a 
nice guy is the "stock in trade" of a confidence man, and it is really     19

amazing how flexible some people's principles become when it comes to 
making a buck.  Often people who engage in this type of activity will be 
quite candid when they are "off the record," furthermore, most seem to have 
completely convinced themselves that these are laudable practices and that 
they are not doing anything wrong.
	This is not moralizing, but simply an attempt to indicate the very
remarkable similarities between gun collecting and walking through a mine
field.  With both you stand an uncomfortably large chance of getting hurt
if you rush in where someone with experience fears to tread.  

	To be of any value to a collector, a gun generally must have the 
original finish as applied by the factory.  If you expect to buy a pistol
with the original finish you must know, or be able to determine what the
original finish looked like (you must form a mental picture of a "standard"
.45 AUTO of the same period), and determine whether the example  in question
looks like the standard.  There are scientific methods which can be used to
compare one physical parameter of two guns, however these methods are not
available to the collector at a gun show, and even if they were, a correct
standard is essential for this method to provide useful results, and there
the problem lies.  The only practical method of arriving at a standard is to
look at and remember a large number of pistols.  This not only takes a lot
of time, effort, travel, mental effort, expense, and patience, but also the 
methodology does not guarantee success, for it is ultimately your skill 
against the crooks.  Probably the most reasonable benchmark of whether a gun
is likely to be faked is the price that the particuluar variation sells for.
If the gun is a very rare variation such as an N.R.A. marked Colt,  where 
presumably less than 100 were produced, the gun might sell for over $2000.
Where as a normal Colt in the same serial range, and in the same condition,
might sell for $750.  Here there is a big incentive for the crook to have the
gun marked, and probably the biggest danger is that the gun is an outright
fake, instead of simply been messed with.  The unmarked gun that is in the 
proper serial range, has the potential for being the victim of a 
faker, but if he messed it up, the faker would try to cover up the fakery
by more rework and sell the unmarked gun as original.  You must therefore,
always be alert to any hint of something being wrong or unusual.  When 
something unusual is found, the next step is to determine whether the unusual
characteristic is an original variation, done at the factory, a functional 
modification, done by the military, or simply the work of some devious or 
unscrupulous mechanic.  Once a gun has had the slide or frame modified or
altered, the gun ceases to have any significant collector value.  Some 
collectors carry this to the extreme, and even consider pistols with an
individuals name stamped on them to have been violated.  You therfore must
keep in mind that the value of an item in your collection has two prices:
One price is what the gun is worth to you not to sell it, and the other price
is what the gun can be sold for to someone else.  Whenever you buy a gun with
some defect or irregularity (and most guns have some sort of defects flaws or
irregularities,) you must never forget about the day when you may have to sell
the gun.  For as long as you keep the pistol; it doesn't matter what it is 
worth when you sell it.  The only thing that does matter is what it is worth 
to you.  Once you have to sell the gun it doesn't matter what it is worth to 
you, only what someone else is willing to pay for it.  If you dismiss or over 
look a defect when you purchase the gun, it may someday come back to haunt you.

	One of the most powerful motivations, in the field of gun collecting
however, is the anticipation of the thrill of finding that here-to-fore 
unknown and facinating variation.  Am I looking at a here-to-fore new      
variation, or am I looking at a defect?  When something unusual is found,  
you seldom have adequate time to analyze the specimen, nor do you have all 
the proper reference books that might be necessary to understand what it is 
that you are looking at.  Ultimately, each time that you make a decision as to 
buying a gun, you are on your own, and it is always your skill against the 
skill of the other guys.  

	The maximum price that is paid for a collectable item should be 
inversely proportional to the number that are available and to the number   20

that were made.  Sometimes the number made and the number available differ 
so widely that there doesn't seem to be any relationship between the two.  A
good example is the pistols made under the Russian contract.  The total made
amounted to almost half of the 1911 Government models and one quarter of the 
entire pre WWII production, yet the number observed seems to be quite low, 
and the price that they bring is usually over $2000.  If there any significant
number of these guns stashed away in warehouses somewhere in Siberia, they 
might be released for sale to the world gun market at any time that the 
Russian Government needs storage space or foreign currency.  At present the 
United States of America is about the only country that allows the importation
of surplus firearms, and it is likely that these guns would show up here.  One 
result would be that the selling price of the existing Russian contract 
pistols would drop dramatically, and might remain low for a considerable
time.  The chances are that most of the pistols that would show up would be
in rough shape as are the Broomhandles that we now see.  However the price
of even prime pre-import brooms is now much lower than it was before the    
Chinese brooms started appearing.  
	The price that is paid for any foreign contract pistol should reflect
the number made, and if a premium price is paid, based on apparent scarcity, 
then that equity may be in jeopardy, and be subject to the whim of some
foreign bureaucrat.  The foreign contract guns, while very interesting from
a technical point of view, must be considered somewhat speculative from an
investment perspective, and extreme caution used when comtemplating the 
purchase of one of the high priced examples.

	If you are the type of person who wants to use his American Express
Card for all his purchases because you expect someone else to take the 
responsibility for all your actions, even if, as the television ads show, you
destroy or break an item through common negligence, then you probably should 
not consider gun collecting as an activity for which you would derive either
satisfaction or benefit.        

	There is no right way to be a collector, and anyone who tries to 
tell you that there is, probably has motives that are suspect.  Listen to
others and scrutinize what they say.  If you don't feel as if you know enough
to talk about an area, or form conclusions, then you probably haven't seen
enough examples of the guns under consideration, and you probably need to do 
more legwork.  Scrutinize and question what you hear and read, especially 
from someone with the audacity to write 21 pages telling you how to make your 
life fullfilling.  And above all else:  trust your own intellect.
	Perhaps a final appeal or request:  When something is found that 
seems to contradict the conventional wisdom or something is found that seems
unusual or extraordinary, first do the homework to try to find an explanation
and then write it up in the AUTOMAG newsletter.  Be as complete and methodical
as you can be.  Most of us will never know anything new if we don't discuss 
things with each other.
	This collectors guide would not be complete without a description
and pictures of at least all the major variations.  However, for the moment
at least, it will have to remain incomplete, and this area of the guide will
have to wait for further effort at a future date. 

	For those who appreciate the effort to date on this collectors guide, 
my particuluar interests are militaries in the serial range 710000 to 725000, 
and I would likewise appreciate any leads toward pistols in this range. 

	Please email me at kxk1@juno.com.
		Good luck and good collecting.                              

                                               Karl  Karash               


		Copyright c 1990 Karl Karash
		    All rights reserved.

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