1918 DWM Proof Marks.?

alanint · 06-19-2012, 08:18 AM

Exactly, the scallop was "cleaned up" after being partly removed when the side of the upper receiver was machined down to remove the proofs. Unfortunately, the effort to restore the scallop resulted in a misshapen lower radius, which although slight, is noticeable.

There are also a couple of "ticks" in the metal where the deepest part of the proofs were not entirely machined away. Another indicator is that the ejector sits at, or slightly above the surface of the receiver, where they usually sit slightly below this surface.
This was neatly done, then reblued long ago. The purpose for all this effort is a mystery.

I own a beater Colt 1911 made in 1918. Someone ground off the "Model of 1911, US Army" from the slide and the "Property, US Army" from the frame, possibly thinking that the goverment could appear at any moment and reclaim their property. This may be the case with this pistol, perhaps kept and not turned in by a German soldier after WW1 who was seeking "plausible deniability" should he be caught with it?

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06-19-2012, 08:18 AM	#14
alanint User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Marco Island, Florida Posts: 4,867 Thanks: 1,685 Thanked 1,917 Times in 1,193 Posts	Exactly, the scallop was "cleaned up" after being partly removed when the side of the upper receiver was machined down to remove the proofs. Unfortunately, the effort to restore the scallop resulted in a misshapen lower radius, which although slight, is noticeable. There are also a couple of "ticks" in the metal where the deepest part of the proofs were not entirely machined away. Another indicator is that the ejector sits at, or slightly above the surface of the receiver, where they usually sit slightly below this surface. This was neatly done, then reblued long ago. The purpose for all this effort is a mystery. I own a beater Colt 1911 made in 1918. Someone ground off the "Model of 1911, US Army" from the slide and the "Property, US Army" from the frame, possibly thinking that the goverment could appear at any moment and reclaim their property. This may be the case with this pistol, perhaps kept and not turned in by a German soldier after WW1 who was seeking "plausible deniability" should he be caught with it?