WW1 Armscorp 1911 Upgrade

Jimster

Jimster

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
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I know this won’t impress many of you but I’m proud as punch. Today I received my original WW1 era grip safety. Along with my original WW1 hammer and thumb safety I feel as if I’ve turned this RIA “Wild Bunch” 1911 into a close imitation of an original. Feedback and rude comments are as always welcomed. I know what it is and what it isn’t but hells bells I love this pistol. My medium sized hands help eliminate hammer bite.
IMG_6371.jpeg
 
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Cool. Since you asked for rude comments, RIA makes quality pistols for the money but I wish they would correct the frame profile above/behind the trigger. It stands out like a sore thumb and would be relatively easy to remedy. Both the WWI and the A1 type frames are wrong in that area.
 
Hadn’t noticed that discrepancy before. I can live with it though. Not rude at all. I always appreciate your knowledge.
 
It is a mystery to me why nobody seems able to make a faithful copy of a USGI pistol, "imitation Army surplus" in my book.
I like the Cimarron roll marks, the style is close to Colt, but those contour variations are nagging.
 
Jim Watson said:
It is a mystery to me why nobody seems able to make a faithful copy of a USGI pistol, "imitation Army surplus" in my book.
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Probably a good thing as there are already tons of fakes getting passed off in the USGI collector market.
 
Maybe so. But I have been sneered at for suggesting that high fidelity restorations be marked as such. Seems the same thing should apply to copies.
 
Very cool. Tell me about lanyard rings please.

I see one on the frame which I take it was an original 1911 feature. And I see one on the magazine, something I don’t recall seeing before. Were they concurrent early 1911 features? I’m a little surprised about the magazine lanyard ring. Doesn’t seem a brilliant idea to me but I imagine there must have been some thinking behind it. Any idea what it was ? When did each of the rings go away?

Thanks.
 
The soldiers could tether the magazines together with string so as not to lose them and for quicker reloads. So I’ve read. I imagine the muddy-assed trenches and battlefields to be hell on retrieval of dropped gear. I don’t see this feature on WW2 pistols.
 
Jimster said:
I plan on impressing the plastic wonder striker fired youngsters at the range.
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You really need a rig like this, then :) :
iu

Or this one (ignore the second should strap attachment
iu
 
Roverguy said:
When did each of the rings go away?
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The 1911 was meant for mounted troops as a "horse" gun.
While on horseback, anything dropped is long gone and unlikely to be seen again.
So near every thing, especially in the nineteen-teens, had a lanyard or dummy cord.

And, 2/3 of the War Department was mounted in one way or another, until horses were replaced by trucks and cars.

And, it being the War Department, you were likely only issued the three magazines with the one sidearm, no doubt having to sign a chit sheet avowing to return the issued items, or pay the replacement price.

Despite all that, especially the parsimony, there are no photos of troops covered up in lanyards (but, that may well reflect a War Department reflex to not issue any magazines).

The magazine loops started vanishing in the very late 30s, but pop up randomly in WWII photos.
 
Jimster said:
Hadn’t noticed that discrepancy before. I can live with it though. Not rude at all. I always appreciate your knowledge.
Click to expand...
Now you WILL notice it.... ;)
Jimster, really like the knurling on the slide stop. Just plain like your gun.
I've a Colt Black Army that is a good replica, which is why I got it.
Hard to deny the appeal of such things.
Moon
 
1KPerDay said:
RIA makes quality pistols for the money but I wish they would correct the frame profile above/behind the trigger. It stands out like a sore thumb and would be relatively easy to remedy. Both the WWI and the A1 type frames are wrong in that area.
Click to expand...
Dave DeLaurant said:
I hadn't noticed this either -- I got out one of my RIA A1s and the difference is very hard for me to spot. The ejection port differences on mine are much more obvious.
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That frame error is much less noticeable with RIA's M1911A1 frame, with the relief cuts behind the trigger.

That lowered ejection port really disqualifies the RIA as a WW2 clone. I used two RIA guns as the basis for WW2 clones, but I had to replace the slides. Luckily I had them in my spares stash.

The Thompson / Kahr / Auto Ordnance is a better starting point for a clone, but it has the pesky Series 80 firing pin safety. I'm hopeful that the new Tisas rectifies the problems. Originals, now at $2,000 a pop, really aren't practical for reenactments, etc.
 
CapnMac said:
Well, he's part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police :)
(Who were also issued SMLE with Bayonets at their various Stations, in case of need to employ them as Gendarmmes or Caribinari.)
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If he ever dropped his revolver, you'd think he'd trained his best dog King to go back and get it!


BTW, on a note totally unrelated to 1911s:

Mountie Martin and the Space Diamonds (Dub'ya)

www.spitzer.caltech.edu www.spitzer.caltech.edu
 
Dave DeLaurant said:
If he ever dropped his revolver
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I always figured the fool thing would drop to the end of the lanyard and jab the horse in the flank, causing said horse to either bolt off, or to rear up, or some such "startle" reflex. None of which are ideal for optimal equestrian practice. Which gets even more iffy if all the reins (four on a European bridle) are in only the left hand or clenched, dashingly, in one's teeth . . .

Although, it occurs that most movie depictions of Mounties have them in Western rig, both bridle and saddle, rather than English.
 
CapnMac said:
I always figured the fool thing would drop to the end of the lanyard and jab the horse in the flank, causing said horse to either bolt off, or to rear up, or some such "startle" reflex. None of which are ideal for optimal equestrian practice. Which gets even more iffy if all the reins (four on a European bridle) are in only the left hand or clenched, dashingly, in one's teeth . . .

Although, it occurs that most movie depictions of Mounties have them in Western rig, both bridle and saddle, rather than English.
Click to expand...
In Calgary this week and saw mounted police last evening, though I imagine they were Calgary police rather than RCMP. Anyway, their saddles were what I would think of as endurance rigs. Lighter built than a Western saddle, no horn at the pommel, but long stirrups and bridles with bits, chin bands, and martingales.
 
Roverguy said:
In Calgary this week and saw mounted police last evening, though I imagine they were Calgary police rather than RCMP. Anyway, their saddles were what I would think of as endurance rigs. Lighter built than a Western saddle, no horn at the pommel, but long stirrups and bridles with bits, chin bands, and martingales.
Click to expand...

Like a dressage saddle?
 
I don't know if I still have it, but there was an article in Gun Digest by a guy who found a copy of the 1909 Canadian cavalry manual. He started searching and came up with a complete outfit for himself and his horse.
 
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