WWII US Ithaca Gun Co. 1911A1 .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol, MFD 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $2,240.00
LSB#: LSB251216DH031
Make: Ithaca
Model: 1911-A1
Serial Number: 1470182
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto fed by Removable Magazine
Barrel Length: 5″, High Standard
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a serrated, ramped blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide. The top edges of the rear sight are peened.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered brown plastic panels with reinforcement rings around the screw heads and reinforcement ribs on the interior, the left panel is Coltwood with large rings around the screws, the right panel is Keyes Fibre. The grips have fairly even handling wear. There are some scattered nicks and scuffs. There are 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: Parkerized
Finish Originality: Original to the parts. The slide is not original to the frame.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright. The rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is a little stubborn fouling. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 8+ out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 50% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. There is even finish wear, mostly going to a light patina blending well with the remaining finish.. There is some scattered minor oxidation and infrequent minor erosion. There are some nicks, scuffs and scratches. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are generally clear, the Ordnance wheel is incomplete, as is common. Overall, this pistol is in Good-plus condition as not parts-original.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is light-moderate play between the slide and frame. The trigger is crisp. 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 M.S. Little magazine and an undated Boyt M1916 holster.
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 was made by Ithaca in 1943. The pistol is in Good-plus condition, retaining about half its parkerized finish, a strong bore, and good mechanics. The pistol’s slide is marked “M 1911 A1 U.S. ARMY”, typical of Ithaca produced replacement slides with some installed on production pistols into the 1.27M range. The pistol’s wear is consistent with its age and service, and speaks of a pistol that actually saw use, rather than one that stayed stateside and sat in an armory. This is a neat old Ithaca M1911A1 and would make a good addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!
-Bud