Colt M1911
 

I finaly got to pick up the 1911 I reserved a few months ago, What a stunner! I had to break the whole thing down and clean it in boiling water as it had been preserved in what looked and smelled like bitumen.
I took it to the range this morning all cleaned and oiled and it is the nicest pistol I have ever used, just a shame the rounds are so expensive here :grr:

I searched the serial no and it came back as a 1943-44 issue and on the holster that came with it is stamped "US Enger-Kress 1944" I wish I could have asked the old guy that had it all these years how he got it in the first place
:cheers:

Interesting,I would have thought you would find a Norwegian made 1911,not a US military 1911A1.From your pics,it looks all correct!
Congratulations
Bob

Nice example of a WWII Colt Model 1911A1. I wonder when it went through Rock Island Arsenal for rebuild.

Your right about the Kongsberg 1914 being the most common here. I dont doubt the shop could have sold this gun a dozen times over while its been waiting for me. my luck I was in the store the morning it arrived from the police (it was cleared from the house of an elderly man after his passing).
To some a guns a gun, but I feel very lucky to own this as well as my Luger.
Has It been rebuilt? I see there are some letters stamped in on one side of the frame.

The RIA Stamp on the right side of the frame indicates it passed through the Rebuild Facility. Now, whether anything was actually done is another question and only close examination of the gun would detect parts changed out, etc.

Also curious is the Ordinance Corps Flaming Bomb stamp, also on the right side of the frame. Final inspection at RIA???

Are the various acceptance and inspection stamps showing the expected burnished look (displaced metal)?? If they are, it would indicate that the gun was not refinished at Rock Island Arsenal.

In any case, its a nice looking example of the classic WWII Model 1911A1

John

got your self a real nice one. Congrats

Hi,

Checking records, a William Basti shows up in WW-II military records.

He's in the 1940 census data at age 16:

Age 16, born abt 1924 Birthplace Pennsylvania Gender Male Race White Home in 1940 Monongahela,
Greene, Pennsylvania
Household Members Age Head Stephen Basti 70 Wife Julia Basti 62 Son William Basti 16

And shows up in the death index:

WILLIAM BASTI was born July 16, 1924, received a Pennsylvania Social Security number, 202-14-6898, and died October 10, 2006.

Marc

Marc
I love it when you can match up a gun with a original owner! I wonder how that Colt ended up in Norway?
At least we know Mr Basti lived a long life! Fun stuff.
Bob

Excellent 1911A1, I love them, carried one 3/4 of my army career.


Ed

Now I like this, I had not thought it possible to find who the owner was but you guys are detectives.
It looks like the full name is Bastian as this was written under the keeper strap, I guess he ran out of space writing it down the side.
All the stamps seem smooth when I rub a finger over them with no raised edges, although are very crisp. any idea what G.H.D. can be for? this is stamped in above the mag release.

The initials GHD are the cartouche used by Brigadier Guy. H. Drewry, the Chief Inspector for the US Army Ordinance Corps for the District covered by Springfield Arsenal in Massachusetts.

His cartouche appears on all 1911A1s manufactured from 1943 to mid-1945 and was placed on the pistols by his deputies as part of the acceptance process by the military establishment.

John

Here is a useful site for further exploring your 1911;

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/history/rebuild.htm

I would venture a guess that your new 1911A1 Colt was a battlefield loss by an American soldier, that was found by one of your countrymen and carefully hidden and preserved all these years. Congrats on a wonderful souvenier of WW2. Perhaps the methods used to discover the identity of Wm Basti... could be leveraged to investigate the birth and death of Mr. Bastian...

The Social security death index notes a William C. Bastian born October 14, 1933 (too young for World War II) and died February 28, 1997 after living in Hachita, New Mexico, 88040. Hachita is in Grant County. His social security card was issued in Kansas.

Apparently, only one William C. Bastian is recorded in the index.

But, I think forum member mrerick, noting his entry above, may be able to access more information that I found.

David