Opinions on match grade 1911s?
I've got the bug for a Colt 1911 .45 and I'm trying to educate myself. Reading tonight I see the schools of thought are toward Government 1911A1s, meaning issued pieces, where originality is all important. Or else we go down the Match Grade path. That's the direction I want to go because I intend to USE the thing. If I understand it right, the really good ones are pre-1970 National Match, followed by 70 Series Gold Cup National Match.
I'm truly new to these, I've been a wheel gun man (Pythons and Anacondas) and want to expand my horizons. So since I'm surrounded by centuries of experience, what do YOU think about 1911 Match models? Love em, hate em, what do you know and what should I avoid? What is the BEST Match grade 1911 after the pre-70s National Match? Or am I completely down a rat hole here embarrassing myself?
What do you think? Let the battles begin!
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Nanuq907: 31514948014107/comments/31514989098651
It came down to a sweet Buy It Now and a 1944 Government Property 1911A1 National Match that went through Springfield Armory. It wears a NM barrel, trigger and bushing, a Remington slide and the barrel is stamped with the frame number. I think it's a winner. Should be here Monday!
Ahhh, I'm late to the party. Well. I think you did well.
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Nice! Have fun!
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Nanuq907: 31514948014107/comments/31514989098651
It came down to a sweet Buy It Now and a 1944 Government Property 1911A1 National Match that went through Springfield Armory. It wears a NM barrel, trigger and bushing, a Remington slide and the barrel is stamped with the frame number. I think it's a winner. Should be here Monday!
Just a slight correction (or Karl will be spinning in his grave) but SA is Springfield ARSENAL where the National Match pistols were rebuilt until 1968 when the operation was transferred to Rock Island ARSENAL. Springfield Armory is those 'other' guys.
Which one did you buy? The barrel, slide and barrel bushing should all be numbered to the frame. If you are real lucky, it came with the two original issued (and tuned) magazines that were also numbered to the frame.
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Springfield Arsenal ... of course you’re right, I’m still on the steep part of the learning curve.
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Nanuq907: 31514948014107/comments/31514973216283
Springfield Arsenal ... of course you’re right, I’m still on the steep part of the learning curve.
Nice! Now we need to find out if it's a Remington Rand (common), a Colt (not so common) or something else. Are you planning on posting pictures?
Is the slide numbered to the frame just below the ejection port? If not, it might be numbered with the last 4 of the frame number (serial number) behind the Firing Pin Stop Plate. And the frame should be stamped NM on the forward, right side of the trigger guard. The barrel bushing should have the last 4 digits of the frame number scrawled with an electric pencil (crude at best).
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Cool
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iceracerx: 31514948014107/comments/31514973281435
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11254472#Comment_11254472
Nice! Now we need to find out if it's a Remington Rand (common), a Colt (not so common) or something else. Are you planning on posting pictures?
Is the slide numbered to the frame just below the ejection port? If not, it might be numbered with the last 4 of the frame number (serial number) behind the Firing Pin Stop Plate. And the frame should be stamped NM on the forward, right side of the trigger guard. The barrel bushing should have the last 4 digits of the frame number scrawled with an electric pencil (crude at best).
Here are some photos, I hope I got what I think I got! It sold as a "Ser# 1611579, Colt frame with a Remington Rand slide. U.S. National Match 1911A1 semi auto pistol. SA Springfield Armory marked. NM trigger, NM barrel with a bright bore, barrel bushing marked NM. Micro rear adjustable rear sight." I like the fact it has real sights, instead of the screwy little nubbins that are impossible to see. The rest looks pretty solid to my uneducated eye. Serial number dates it to 1944.
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That is a very beautiful and sexy piece of workmanship!
Congratulations!
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It sure looks like a genuine article to me. Colt frame and 'service' (Remington Rand) slide. Short NM trigger (looks like someone added a trigger shoe at one time - it was a popular mod). The Micro rear sight suggests this is a 1962 issue of which 172 were sold at the National Matches by the DCM (for around $85 if you took the small arms school and shot in the matches). Where the other 2,853 pistols produced went is anyone's guess.
I'd say you did well. Now we need a range report. My 1966 example is a first round center X shooter. After that, it's anyone's guess.
Did you get the issued magazines?
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Doesn’t look like I got the magazine, the one with the gun is stamped C-S ??
Thanks for the detailed history of this pea shooter!
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Pistol Markings (coolgunsite.com)
Sometimes present on the bottom of the base a C-L, C-R, C-S which implied it was subcontracted for Colt.
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Mister USPS says it will be delivered Monday. Now all I have to do is try and find some .45 ACP ammo for sale here in town. Then we're off to the range! My son in law is a MUCH MUCH MUCH better shot than me, let's see what he can do with this beauty.
Like I said, if there's a learning curve, I'm on it somewhere. Maybe some day I can begin to use the accuracy this beauty offers. Fingers crossed!
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The magazines that came with the NMs were also numbered with an electric pencil, like the barrel bushing. While these pistols came from SA/RIA as 'hardball' guns, many were worked over to become 'wadcutter' guns. Maybe Forge can enlighten us on the difference.
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