1903 Colt with painted slide

[jrhines]

I have a Colt 1903 Type III in the shop, dates to 1919 (SN 31XXXX), that has a high polish blue frame but the slide is/was painted black. Most of the paint is worn/scraped/flaked off, leaving the slide mostly "in the white". This is the second one of these pistols that I have seen with a painted slide, both from this time frame. Any one have an idea as to why this was done? War time expediency?

 

[scramasax]

Just a wag. May be holster wear on the slide with no access to blueing?

Cheers,

ts

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've never seen a 'paint finish' on a colt,even in wartime. Suspect that's aftermarket.

On second thought.. Canadian military used a finish like that .. could it be a contract run?

 

[Ron James]

The 1903s-1908s never left Colt with a painted slide even in wartime. Any paint has to be after market job, why? don't know but any one who would paint a Colt needs access to some tar and feathers.

 

[Jim K]

The British and Canadian forces painted some weapons but AFAIK never used the 1903 Colt as a combat arm. I think someone considered it a quick and dirty way to cover up bluing loss.

(Before getting upset about painting guns, don't forget that many modern guns - the collectors items of the future - are being painted in colors from camoflage to psychodelic patterns.)

Jim

Jim

 

[AlexanderA]

A lot of miscellaneous guns, new and used, were scooped up by the British Purchasing Commission in the 1940-41 time period, and sent to the U.K. for Home Guard and other use. Some were even donated by their American owners. It was standard British practice to cover the metal parts with black paint, regardless of the original finish.

 

[jrhines]

I'm not sure of the pedigree of this Colt, it came to me for a checkup along with an absolutely pristine Ithaca 1911A1 and original Army Air-force holster and shoulder holster. I'll check back with the owners son-in-law to see if he can ferret out any more info. It would be neat to know if it came back from the Brits. Unfortunately, the owner is now 92, and with a touch of dementia. But, he clearly remembers his 1911, "Since I was an officer they gave me this nice pistol, and they never asked for it back. So I kept it!". That's just as sharp as you need to be. It also came with 3 "L" marked mags and 3 boxes of Evansville Ord Plant .45 ammo, head stamped "E C S 43". It has all been sitting in a safe for the past 50 years.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm wondering if it could just be normal but very severe "blue flaking" on guns that old?

I have one pre-war Woodsman about the same age with a small patch of blue gone on the slide that looks just about like that.

I don't know what the official term is, or what causes it?
But I call it flaking when the bluing on old guns comes off in patches leaving a gray undersurface.

rc

 

[Old Fuff]

Colt's so-called charcoal blue process (they called it their "trade finish"), was still being used in 1919 but was about to be discontinued. Anyway it does have a reputation for flaking over time. However if this was happening to the slide I'd expect some evidence of the same thing on the frame.

If it had gone to the U.K. it whould show proof marks, and possibly government ownership stamps of various kinds, and if it was part of the World War Two military establishment that did paint some guns the frame as well as the slide would have been done the same way.

I think that it is far more likely that it remained in this country, and some previous owner touched up the slide with paint because they didn't have any other option they could do themselves; and for whatever reason didn't want to bother to send it back to the factory or take it to a gunsmith for refinishing.

 

[Jim K]

A few of those privately owned guns sent to England were returned and were not painted, so I doubt the practice was universal. I also rather doubt that most were ever issued at all, given the variety of ammo and the difficulty of procurement of odd calibers in wartime.

I suspect it was like the idea of women turning in aluminum cooking utensils to make planes. While it certainly helped, the main idea was to get people personally involved in the war effort and to feel they were "doing their bit", rather than to build huge bomber fleets out of saucepans.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

I also rather doubt that most were ever issued at all,

Most, probably not. The various .30-06 and .38 Specials we sent them were little used, even with a red band to mark them as non-standard calibres.
But Henry Stebbins quoted the Home Guard veteran as patroling with "A Pony Colt and three cartridges." Saying it was a .32-20.

 

[rcmodel]

The various .30-06 and .38 Specials we sent them were little used

And then most of them were dumped in the English channel after the war was over so the subjects of the King would not have modern weapons at their disposal!

rc

 

[gyvel]

It's a possibility that this is a Shanghai Police gun that got painted in its long and (very) hard life. Some of those were imported a few years back.

 

[jrhines]

Checking for other markings, be right back.

 

[jrhines]

No other markings, but new pics...

showing a close up of the painted slide (it is paint), and the blued frame.

 

[gyvel]

On the other hand, there may be no great mystery at all. It may just be that somebody didn't like the way the metal looked with no blue and painted it.