Few questions about a 1911A1

[Henry455]

I have had this gun for many years but never really knew anything about the gun. I have determined its a 1942 Model Colt (#778XXX). The gun is all nickle plated except the barrel. This includes the slide, frame, magazine and barrel bushing. The hammer and grip safety looks to be gold plated. The barrel is unmarked except on the rear left side. The letter B 1 is stamped on the barrel just above the barrel link and stamped with S P on either side of the barrel link pin. No markings on the magazine. The grips appear to be Franzites with a medallion inset that seems to have a eagle carrying a flag or sheild.
Did Colt offer Nickle plating at this time or was this nickle plating performed sometime down the road by an owner?. Should there be a serial # on the slide? After viewing the pics, would anybody guess its cosmetic condition. Thanking in advance for any input>.
Here are a few pics:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3

 

[Jim Watson]

Uh, you see there where it says "United States Property?"
I am pretty sure the US Army did not buy any nickel and gold plated .45s with fake stag grips. On the other hand, it was fairly common for a GI who was able to sneak his service pistol home to want to make it pretty. There was a shop in my home town doing two and three tone guns up into the 1960s.

I don't think guns that late had any serial number except the receiver.
The eagle medalion on the grip is the Franzite trademark.
It looks like a good job of plating, the markings are still legible, and so many are washed out in the polishing.
As my local collector would say, it has ZERO percent original finish because it has about 95% refinish.

 

[ScottsGT]

Looks like at one time it was an old war relic. Now it's a purty B-B-Que gun!
How does she shoot??

 

[Henry455]

Thanks guys for your input. I had a feeling that the plating was done some time later but I read on another website that during the war Colt did make a model called "Generals Officers Pistol" and did not know if the finish was any different.
This gun was given to me about 35 years ago by a cousin because I had inherited a Colt .45 to .22 conversion kit but no gun to use it on. The gun shoots well and appears to be in good shape mechanically. With the .22 kit installed, its a lot of fun to shoot. OH, by the way, I do not care for the plating or the grips.

 

[countertop]

This gun was given to me about 35 years ago by a cousin because I had inherited a Colt .45 to .22 conversion kit but no gun to use it on.

Nice cousin!!

OH, by the way, I do not care for the plating or the grips.

I do, I do!!

 

[Steelharp]

I do not care for the plating or the grips.

I hate to see a fellow forumite in such abject misery. Since you really don't care for it, and it really has no collectible value with the refinish, I'll step in and do the good samaritan thing. I will be happy to relieve you of it, just to eliminate the ol' eyesore from you.

(Can anybody see? Is he going for it?)

 

[ScottsGT]

Sorry Steelharp,
I replied first, so he's going to send it to me since he is so unhappy with it.
Besides, I've got a real cool B-B-Que grill that I would look real good standing next to wearing that pistol on my hip and a glass of Jack and Coke in my hand on a hot summer day. Of course, it will be unloaded since I'll be getting loaded! But it's all about the image

 

[Jim Watson]

Henry,

Just to keep you up to date, in WW II the "General Officer's Pistol" was a Colt hammerless .32 or .380. At first they were blued, later parkerized. Of course if you were a famous eccentric flamboyant successful General like Patton, you could carry whatever you liked.

In the 1970s RIA (The American one, not the Philippine knockoff shop.) made some General Officer's Pistols by shortening a nice GI 1911 to Commander length. But they didn't plate them in nickel/gold. They quit when we went Beretta and closed RIA.

 

[Henry455]

I found out that it appears the barrel marked with a SP was a replacement "Springfield" barrel that was produced during the war years. Even though the plating and grips are not my "cup of tea", I still need something for my 22 conversion kit. Sorry guys, one of my 28 year old twin boys has his eye on it, in fact he calls it his gun. Jim, thanks for clearing up the General's Officers model. I thank all for your input.

 

[ScottsGT]

Smart Kid!!!
Hope mine figure out one day that the cabinet full of guns is going to be theirs one day. But then they will probably have me committed just to get them