WWII US Remington Rand 1911A1 1911-A1 .45 ACP Semi-Auto Pistol, 1943 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1976
LSB#: 210419MB31
Make: Remington Rand
Model: 1911-A1
Serial Number: 973824
Year of Manufacture: 1943 (Pg. 394 of Clawson’s “Colt .45 Service Pistols”)
Caliber: .45 A.C.P.
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “REMINGTON RAND INC. / SYRACUSE, N.Y. U.S.A.”. The left of the frame below the magazine release and the top of the slide in front of the rear sight are marked with a “P” acceptance proof. The left side of the frame above the magazine release is marked “FJA” (Frank J. Atwood Lt. Col., Sub-Inspector for Ithaca, Remington Rand and Union Switch). The right side of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY / No. 973824”, “M1911 A1 U.S. ARMY”, and at the rear there is just an Ordnance mark. The top of the frame near the disconnector and the rear face of the slide under the firing pin plate are each marked “G”. The barrel is marked “P” on the left link lug, the right is marked “HS”.
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 checkered brown plastic with reinforcement rings around the screws and reinforcement ribs on the inside. The top grip screw bushing on the right side has stripped and the screw is seized in the bushing, the panel is currently held in place by the bottom screw. The grips have a few scattered minor marks, most in the left panel where a few checkers are compressed. There are no chips or cracks. The checkering is generally sharp. Overall, the grips are in about Fine condition.
Type of Finish: DuLite
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is some stubborn copper fouling on the lands of the rifling.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 87% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. There is handling wear in the grip areas. There are some scattered light nicks and scratches including a cluster of nicks on the top of the barrel at the chamber. There are some scattered spots of surface erosion, most on the dust cover, trigger guard, the front of the slide, and the frontstrap. The action shows light 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 top grip screw bushing on the right side has stripped and the screw is seized in the bushing, the panel is currently held in place by the bottom screw. The trigger pull is crisp. There is very light 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 magazine marked “G” on the top of the floorplate and with the distinctive General Shaver Division (a division of Remington Rand) spot-welds on the spine. The magazine has faint operational wear, infrequent minor surface oxidation and a spot of erosion at the bottom-rear corner on the left, intact feed lips and a strong spring, in about Very Good condition. Also included is a Robert’s Arms Specialties Protecta-Gun two-piece cardboard box with a hand-written label which has this pistol’s information. The box shows little in the way of storage wear, in Fine-Excellent condition.
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. This example was made by Remington Rand in 1943 and has a few interesting features. Early Remington Rand production had a serial prefix of “No” which would later be changed to “NO” to help identify pistols made after some design and production changes. Early production pistols also had a DuLite blued finish which would later be changed to a parkerized finish. The production changes also included stamping the serial number after the frame was finished, while these early production frames were serial marked before being finished. In addition to these early Remington Rand features, this pistol also comes with a magazine made by the General Shaver Division of Remington Rand. This would make a nice addition for a collector, but it should also prove to be a great shooter, given its strong bore and mechanics. Please see our photos and good luck!