WWI Springfield Armory 1911 U.S. Army .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1915 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3275
LSB#: 210930TP14
Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1911
Serial Number: 114704
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 114704”. 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 “R”. The top of the chamber is marked “P”, there are no other markings on the barrel (indicates Remington UMC production). The following parts have a small “S” marked on them: Sear, Disconnector, Hammer, Thumb Safety, Grip Safety, Trigger, Magazine Catch, Barrel Bushing, Firing Pin Plate, Mainspring Housing and Extractor.
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. The grips show light-moderate handling wear. There are some tool marks marks in the smooth diamonds. The left panel has a tiny loss at the bottom-front corner. The checkering has some scattered nicks and compressions, but is generally well defined. Overall, the grips are in about Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: The finish appears original to the parts, some parts are not original to the gun.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. The frame has stronger finish than the slide, with most of its wear in the grip areas. The slide has evenly scattered finish wear. There are some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches including tool marks at the slide stop on the right of the frame and an “idiot mark” below the slide stop on the left. Most worn areas show discoloration from oxidation and there is some scattered minor surface erosion, mostly along the right of the slide. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from tool marked to slightly disfigured with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good-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 darker in the bottom with the top portion lighter and the body of the magazine is folded over on each side across the bottom of the lanyard-loop floorplate. The magazine has scattered light wear and shallow dents at the bottom of the spine. 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. Some small parts and the barrel have been replaced, but the slide, frame and several of the small parts bear Springfield markings. The pistol is in Good-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!