WWII Union Switch & Signal US&S 1911-A1 US Army .45 ACP Pistol, 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $2,975.00
LSB#: LSB250525MC032
Make: Union Switch & Signal Co.
Model: 1911-A1
Serial Number: 1052798
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a short blade with a serrated, ramped rear face fixed to the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed into the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown Keyes Fibre panels with reinforcement ribs on the inside and reinforcement rings around the screws. The grips have fairly even handling wear with some scattered nicks and scratches. There are some tool marks around the screws. The checkering is generally well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Du-Lite Frame, Parkerized Slide, Blued Barrel
Finish Originality: The frame and barrel finish are Original, the slide has been refinished, likely arsenal refurbished.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn copper fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 65% of its current metal finish. The slide has generally strong finish throughout with a few scattered small marks. Most of the balance is in the frame which has handling wear in the grip areas, finish wear on the dust cover and edge-thinning. The frame has some scattered nicks, scratches, and spots of light oxidation. There is an “idiot mark” under the slide stop on the left of the frame. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in about Very Good condition as partially refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp. There is very minor play between the slide and frame. This pistol has manual and grip safeties. 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 a single 7-round Scoville magazine.
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. As in the Great War, production demands of WWII required many manufacturers to produce military equipment for the war effort. While much of the small arms production was performed by arms manufacturers, there were also contracts that went out to other firms.
As the name suggests, Union Switch & Signal Co. produced switches and signaling equipment for railroads. They received a contract to produce 200,000 1911-A1 pistols, though the contract would be shortened with only 55,000 delivered to the government. This makes the US&S 1911-A1s the second rarest of all the manufacturers, behind only Singer who developed the educational material to allow non-firearms manufacturers to swiftly tool up to produce 1911 pistols. It is believed that when the drawings were originally delivered to US&S, the “P” proof mark on the slide was not included, leading to the early production US&S pistols not having the mark at all. When this was discovered, Ordnance requested that the marking be added to the pistol, but it appears that the location was not clear, with interim production guns having the marking notably left of center. The later production pistols had the marking in the same location as other makers.
This example is a neat find for collectors with a middle-production US&S which has the offset “P” marking on the slide. The slide has arsenal-quality parkerize finish while the frame retains original Du-Lite finish, indicating that the two parts were mated together, likely after leaving service. The High Standard barrel has a nice bore, the mechanics are strong, and the slide-to-frame fit is good. This pistol should garner a lot of interest from the collectors of WWI and WWII pistols, and 1911s in particular, but should also prove to be a good shooter. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
