Make: Springfield Armory
Model: 1911
Serial Number: 74183
Year of Manufacture: 1914
Caliber: .45 ACP
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “PATENTED APR.20,1897 / SEPT.9,1902. DEC.19,1905.FEB.14,1911 / COLT’S PT. F.A. MFG. CO.”, “SPRINGFIELD ARMORY / U.S.A.”, and with a “flaming bomb” proof at the rear. The left of the frame is marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY”, and with a “flaming bomb” proof at the magazine release. The right side of the frame is marked “No 74183”. The right side of the slide is marked with a spread wing “American Eagle” and “MODEL OF 1911. U.S. ARMY.”. The left link lug is marked “P”, the right “S”. The following parts have a small “S” marked on them: hammer, slide stop, thumb safety, mainspring housing, trigger, magazine catch, disconnector, sear, grip safety, bushing, and firing pin plate. The extractor is not marked.
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade integral to the slide. The rear sight is a flat-top “U”-notch dovetailed to the rear of the barrel.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are checkered walnut “double diamond” grips. The grips show handling wear, more notable in the right panel than the left. There are some scattered nicks and scratches. The left panel has a notably darker color than the right. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is gray. The rifling is well defined. There is scattered light erosion and minor pitting in the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about a 6 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 40% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Most remaining finish is in the frame which shows handling wear in the grip areas and wear on each side of the “dust cover”. The slide shows notably more finish wear than the frame. There are some light nicks and scratches. There is an "idiot mark" on the left below and above the slide stop. There is infrequent minor surface oxidation. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this pistol is in Good Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger pull is crisp and the slide has little play to the frame. We have not fired this pistol. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This pistol comes with one very scarce, original US Pre-WW1 Unique Springfield “Folded Over Frame” Lanyard Loop Two Tone 7-round magazine. This is a very rare magazine unique to early Springfield manufacture, in which the bottom edges of the frame (also could be called the body) are folded over onto the floorplate, the “two tone” partially blued finish on the body only rises about a quarter of the way up the frame, and the distinct temper line shows iridescence. It features the classic lanyard loop (also called a lanyard ring) on the bottom of the floorplate, and retains a very good amount of the original “two tone” partially blued finish. The magazine has scattered wear and light surface oxidation, but features intact feed lips and a strong spring.
Our Assessment: The Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol was designed by the legendary firearms inventor John Moses Browning, and developed for the US Army in 1911 after the .38 revolver failed to stop charging Moro warriors in the Philippines. The US Army issued the powerful .45 to officers, NCOs, and machine gunners in the Punitive Expedition and World War 1. While production began with Colt, Springfield Armory had plans to produce the new pistol as well. When the Model 1911 was first adopted, an agreement was reached between government officials and Colt that US arsenals could produce the pistol, but only after orders totaling at least 50,000 guns had been received by Colt. The US quickly ordered 50,000 pistols, and set to work on a plan to produce the Model 1911 at Springfield Armory. Oddly, Colt didn’t have any manufacturing drawings, so Springfield had to take 20 Colt production pistols, measure all of their parts, and average the dimensions of the 20 examples to arrive at their nominal dimensions, with the extremes of the measurements used for tolerances. M-1911 production at Springfield Armory didn’t actually begin until 1914, and in 1917, with the Great War raging in Europe and American intervention seeming all but assured after the release of the Zimmerman Telegram and the sinking of the luxury liner Lusitania, the decision was made to cease manufacture of the Model 1911 at Springfield Armory in order to focus on rifle manufacture. A total of only 25,767 Model 1911 pistols were made by Springfield Armory from 1914-17, and they exhibited some interesting features that differentiated them from Colt’s production. The front sights were integral to the slide, rather than a separate part staked in place, the rear sights had a slightly different radius at their corners, and the markings were changed accordingly.
This particular Model 1911 was made by Springfield Armory in 1914 in what was their first production run. Several small parts and the barrel have Springfield markings, though the extractor is not marked. The pistol is in Good Plus condition, showing wear consistent with issue and service use, but retaining strong mechanics. The pistol even comes with the very scarce Springfield “folded over frame” lanyard loop two tone magazine. This is a fine example of a rare, early Pre-WW1 Springfield Armory Model 1911, and would be a great addition to any collection.
Pistol