WWII US Remington Rand M1911A1 1911-A1 .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1945 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,480.00
LSB#: LSB251207TF031
Make: Remington Rand
Model: M1911A1
Serial Number: 2191926
Year of Manufacture: 1945
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto fed by 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 with reinforcement rings around the screws and reinforcement ribs on the inside. The grips have light handling wear with some scattered nicks and scuffing. There are light tool marks in the rings 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: Parkerized, Cold Blue
Finish Originality: There is some Original parkerize remaining, worn areas show treatment with cold blue.
Bore Condition: The High Standard barrel’s bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore and scattered copper fouling. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 8/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 35% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is fairly evenly scattered wear with most appearing to be from aggressive cleaning. Worn areas show treatment with cold blue. There rae some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches with a thin “idiot mark” below the slide stop on the left of the frame. There are infrequent spots of minor surface oxidation. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, the FJA marking is double-struck and the Ordnance wheel is incomplete, as is common. Overall, this pistol is in Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The slide has minor play to the frame. The trigger is crisp. 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 Colt-Little 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. The design was the end-result of a series of developments by famous gun designer John Browning, starting with the Model 1900. The advances made by Browning were revolutionary at the time, and were so successful that they are considered commonplace today. Browning not only developed first a pivoting and then a tilting barrel to allow for a locked system, he developed the concept of “the slide”, which is now synonymous with semi-automatic handguns. During the inter-war years, the design was further refined with an arched mainspring housing, relief-cuts behind the shortened trigger and some minor changes to other small parts, resulting in the 1911A1. This new model would be the US sidearm during WWII, and saw production by a few different companies.
As in the previous World War, Colt and American Arsenals were not able to produce everything that would be required for this war, and production would be contracted to a typewriter company, Remington Rand, a company which made switches and signals for railroads, Union Switch & Signal, and one firearms manufacturer, Ithaca Gun Co.
This example is a Remington Rand made late in the war in 1945. It is in Good condition, retaining about 35% of its original parkerized metal finish and worn areas treated with cold blue. It still has a strong bore, and good mechanics, so it ought to make for a good shooter. It would also be a nice addition to a WWII small arms collection missing the Remington Rand M1911A1. Please see our photos and good luck!
-Bud