A 1917 model of a 1911

[squawberryman]

On Saturday mornings I attend a men's breakfast with some of the church elders. It's turned lately to a bit of show and tell. Chuck brought this. The story is that it belonged to a general whose name he couldn't recall. The general had passed away and he paid the widow one hundred and sixty dollars for the setup. The right side of the gun has the letters NRA rolled on the side. Chuck said he's discovered that there were a total of forty of these made. He's a bullseye shooter from way back so he installed a trigger and a bit longer safety, and grips. He still has the other parts. It's a beaut. On another note. I showed my Harton single six 38 special to a fella. He looked at me and said "Why would you DO that?"

[nicholst55]

I bet that gun could tell some stories, if it could talk!

[buzz1761]

I love history.

Buzz

[Quick Draw McGraw]

Wow, that is a nice pistol!

[squawberryman]

I learned from a hide stretcher the holster is a swivel holster hence the thigh tie. These were issued to the Cavalry.

[taffin]

TOW .45s FROM 1914 AND 2011

[bradshaw]

[/quote]
----squawberryman

*****

Greg.... from this distance, receiver looks refinished or not original to slide. Non-beavertail hammer could be from an A1, trigger and grips much later than that. My experience with a Colt 1911 made in 1917 came for 17 or 20 skins with excellent Boyd flap holster stamper “1917.” It and later World War I Colt 1911’s proved so astoundingly reliable as to illustrate the genealogy of Browning’s masterpiece as life insurance you collect while living. Versus the svelte badge of authority and hugely temperamental Luger. BALL AMMUNITION, of course, and that’s all that mattered.

My Boyd flap holster had been treated with neatsfoot, a practice I continued in my pre-shaving youth. A longer lasting skin than the padded, woven nylon which came along generations later.

Today such pistol should be put back as close to original as possible and enjoyed as such.
David Bradshaw

[squawberryman]

Mr. Bradshaw since a week ago Saturday he put the original trigger, grips, and safety back in. He's a paper puncher from way back that has ability to do such things with ease. I let him know about the Colt archive program and he's going to go that route.