Grandpa's 1911 - questions

[rwc]

A friend of mine in Portland has his grandfather's 1911, acquired during WWII. He would like to know more about it. Information below.

The frame and slide are fairly pitted, but superficially. What would folks recommend he do to maintain it, or alternatively, get it cleaned up by a gunsmith? Any gunsmith recommendations in the Portland area?
Thanks and happy holidays.

rwc
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Designations on the slide:
Right side:
COLT AUTOMATIC
CALIBRE 45
L:
PATENTED APR.20, 1897.SEPT.9, 1902 [Horse logo] COLT'S PT.FA:MFG.CO.
DEC.19,1905.FEB.14, 1911.AUG.19.1913 [same horse] HARTFORD,CT.U.S.A.

Designations on frame:
R:
GOVERNMENT MODEL
C120078

 

[Dr.Who]

RWC,

According to the book that I have. Your 1911 45 is a Commercial unit produced towards the end of 1919. That is based on the number you provided, C120078.

As for what to do with it, I would not refinish it. Just see a Gunsmith to ensure it is safe to shoot. I have a military unit made in 1918 that was passed down. It is not mint and has love marks on it. But, it shoots and has a story. Once it is checked out, just keep it clean and oiled and use quality ammo. He'll be able to pass it on to his kids....

Can't help you with the Gunsmith in Portland. Have not lived there since 1989 and it was before I had any guns.....


Just for future reference. It is probably not a good idea to post the complete serial number. Some States keep track of Serial Numbers and who they belong too. Easy to track. Another reason is that some less than desireable person could post a stolen property claim using the the discription you posted and the serial number. If the gun serial number ever gets registered in a state that records them or checked by the police, you could have a custody fight. Most persons would post all but the last 2 digits of the number. Such as C1200XX. The X's would be space savers.

 

[jkomp316]

I see guns on gunbroker all the time with the serial numbers visible in pictures. I woundn't worry about it. Considering its age, theres probably no record of it anywhere. Id keep it in a safe and not use it anyhow, just admire it once a week, haha. Thats a very nice peice, I wish I had one, prob worth $1000+

 

[XavierBreath]

It sounds like a commercial model to me, but the WWII era guns are not my forte. I could be very wrong.

What to do with it.........Clean it, and keep it oiled, including the outer surfaces. Do not store it in a holster. If you have crusty rust, soak it in oil for a couple of days, then use a penny to scrape it off. The copper penny will only take the rust, not the parkerizing.

Get an independent appraiser who is not interested in buying to give you a value. Pay him for his time. Often small details can mean large differences in the prices of these pistols. I'm not qualified to say any more than that, and without examining the gun, everything is speculation.