WWI Springfield Armory 1911 U.S. Army .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1915 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3125
LSB#: 230406MA001
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1911
Serial Number: 127009
Year of Manufacture: 1915
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “PATENTED APR.20,1897 / SEPT.9,1902. DEC.19,1905.FEB.14,1911 / COLTS PT. F.A. MFG. CO.”, “SPRINGFIELD ARMORY / U.S.A.” and with a Flaming Bomb proof at the rear. The left of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” and at the magazine release with a Flaming Bomb proof. The right side of the frame is marked “No 127009”. The interior of the slide, in front of the locking lugs, is marked “26 / Z”, the numbers are twice struck. The right side of the slide is marked with an American Eagle Springfield logo and “MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY.”. The bottom of the slide is marked with a double struck “R”. There is a very small “X” in the left rail above the lever safety. The left link lug is marked “S” and “P”. The following parts have a small “S” marked on them: Barrel Bushing, Firing Pin Plate, Hammer, Slide Stop, Thumb Safety, Mainspring Housing, Grip Safety, Trigger, Magazine Catch, Disconnector, and Sear. The extractor has an incomplete “S”.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade integral to the slide. The rear sight is a flat-top “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the barrel. Each corner has a 0.06? radius, typical of Springfield produced rear sights.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut “Double Diamond” grips. There are some scattered little nicks, most have darkened with age. There are some compressions and surface scrapes, the most noticeable are on the left panel below the top diamond. There are some nicks to the peaks to some of the checkering and some of the checkering has rub wear. The checkering is mostly intact. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Orignal
Bore Condition: The bore is light gray and the rifling is sharp and well-defined. There is scattered light erosion in the bore, mostly in the grooves. In my opinion, this bore rates a 6 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950’s.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 45% of its metal finish. There is finish loss and thinning on the edges. There are some scattered areas of finish loss that have taken on light pitting, the most noticeable areas are on the grip frame. The slide and frame have an “idiot mark” through the finish in the metal. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs, scratches, spots of oxidation, and areas of discoloration from previous oxidation. Some of the most noticeable marks in the metal are on the trigger guard. There are some scattered light scabs. There is operational wear. The screwheads are sharp to lightly used. The markings are generally clear. Overall, this pistol is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp and the slide has little play to the frame. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one 7-round magazine. The magazine’s finish is blued at the bottom with the top portion in the white, there is copper plating at the top of the spine and the body of the magazine is folded over on each side across the bottom of the lanyard-loop floorplate. The magazine has scattered scratches, areas of erosion, and scattered spots of dark discoloration. The feed lips are intact and the spring is strong.
Our Assessment: The 1911 and 1911-A1 pistols served the military of the United States from 1911 to 1985, through two World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam wars. They gained a reputation as a reliable handgun with plenty of stopping power, and are held in high regard by those who have used them. Its design came from John Moses Browning with initial production by Colt. When the pistol was first adopted by the U.S. Army, an agreement was reached that US Arsenals could produce the pistol, but only after orders of at least 50,000 pistols had been received by Colt. The United States immediately ordered 50,000 pistols and set to work on a plan to produce the new model at Springfield Armory. Oddly, Colt actually didn’t have manufacturing drawings, so Springfield had to take 20 Colt production pistols, measure all of their parts, and average the dimensions of the 20 examples to arrive at their nominal dimensions, with the extremes of the measurements used for tolerances. Production would actually begin in 1914, but with the US entry into WWI becoming imminent, production ceased in 1917 in order to focus on rifle production. A total of 25,767 Model 1911 pistols were made by Springfield and they had some interesting features to differentiate them from Colt’s production. The front sights were integral to the slide, rather than a separate part staked in place, the rear sights had a slightly different radius at their corners, and the markings were of course different. This is a Springfield Armory Model 1911 pistol made in 1915, after the start of WWI, but before the US had joined in. The parts on this pistol bear the small “S” stamping, and the parts noted on page 104 of Clawsons “Colt .45 Service Pistols” are all marked on this pistol. The pistol is in Very Good condition showing wear consistent with issue and service use. The Springfield made 1911s are always collectible, and this would be a great addition to a collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
Some are hot, some are not, but thankfully most can be shot!
-Red
