WWI Springfield Armory 1911 U.S. Army .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1915 C&R
SOLD FOR: $4,225.00
LSB#: LSB250525MC035
Model: 1911
Serial Number: 104847
Year of Manufacture: 1915
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
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 have fairly even light handling wear with some light nicks and scuffs. The left panel has a loss in the front edge at the bottom. The checkering is well defined. There are no cracks. The right panel is notably lighter in color than the left. Overall, the grips are in Good-Very Good condition.
Please note: all four grip screws are seized in their bushings, turning the screws rotates the bushings in the frame. The frame and bushing threads are strong.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Orignal to the parts, some small parts may have been replaced. The following parts have a small “S” Springfield marking: extractor, firing pin plate, barrel lug, bushing, slide stop, mainspring housing, safety, grip safety, hammer, disconnector, sear, magazine catch, trigger. The barrel lug is also marked with a “P”, the rear face of the chamber hood is marked “MD”.
Bore Condition: The bore is light gray and the rifling is sharp. There is scattered minor erosion and very minor pitting in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 7/10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 60% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is finish wear on the sides of the dust cover and trigger guard consistent with holster use. There is a patch of wear on the top-right of the slide in front of the ejection port. The grip areas show handling wear. There is notable finish wear on the slide stop. There is some other scattered more minor wear. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation. There are some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches with an “idiot mark” under the slide top 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.
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 a Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Co. canvas belt, Graton & Knight marked 1918 dated M1916 holster, canvas lanyard, Mills Nov. 1918 dated two-magazine belt pouch and a total of three 7-round magazines. Two magazines are two-tone with lanyard-loop floorplates and bodies that come down flush with the floorplate. The third magazine is a correct Springfield magazine with fold-over body, lanyard loop floorplate, two-tone finish with the majority in the white, and a copper square at the top of the spine.
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 Springfield Armory Model 1911 pistol was made in 1915, after the start of WWI, but before the US had joined in. Several parts on this pistol bear the small “S” stamping, listed above, and the pistol retains much of its original finish, a decent bore, and strong mechanics. The pistol’s wear is consistent with, even light for, its issue and service use. The Springfield made 1911s are always collectible, and this would be a great addition to a collection, especially with the included holster rig and original Springfield magazine. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
