Got the one I've been wanting! I've become a 1911 collector apparently....

[ChampCarStar]

Picked up my Ejercito Argentino Colt this morning. One of the ones actually made by Colt, not one of the later Argentine manufactured pistols.

Still a ways to go to catch up to Highpower. lol

[k1dude]

Very nice OP! I'm jealous.

[slamfire1]

Very nice collection. The grips on that Argentine 1911 are a great piece of wood, undoubtedly aftermarket.

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by slamfire1

Very nice collection. The grips on that Argentine 1911 are a great piece of wood, undoubtedly aftermarket.

Yeah, those are the only parts of the pistol that aren't original.

I'm happy to have one of the actual Colt made guns. Apparently, only 10,000 were made with these specific markings. Colt markings on the left of the slide and Ejercito Argentino on the right.

Argentina also bought commercial Colt Government models. Some commercial 1911s prior to WWI and U.S. Property Marked M1911A1s after WWII. These have the standard Colt markings (either Government model markings or U.S. Property Markings) but with an Argentine crest appearing on the top of the slide in some instances. Others were simply marked with the branch of the Argentine Military it was issued to.

The domestically produced Argentine 1911s would also say Ejercito Argentino on the right of the slide but the left says D.G.F.M - (F.M.A.P) for the domestic factory.

[tomrkba]

Wow! Great catch!

Are you going to shoot it?

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by tomrkba

Wow! Great catch!

Are you going to shoot it?

I shoot everything I own.

My Colt 1911 from 1918 still runs like a champ!

[The War Wagon]

Originally Posted by ChampCarStar

I've become a 1911 collector apparently....

It's a GOOD habit to have.

NICE addition.

[highpower]

You are certainly off to a good start. At the rate you are going you will have to get a bigger table to take pictures of all your 1911's.

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by highpower

You are certainly off to a good start. At the rate you are going you will have to get a bigger table to take pictures of all your 1911's.

Haha, this is the stuff I failed to take into account as I grow my collection.

Now I need to buy a bigger table and a larger piece of green felt.

[McNally M.]

Beautiful addition to an wonderful collection!

[omega]

Originally Posted by ChampCarStar

I shoot everything I own.

My Colt 1911 from 1918 still runs like a champ!

I heard the COLTS mfg during WW1 had no heat treatment? the service life is shorter on the early model 1911's , slides crack or get deformed faster.

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by omega

I heard the COLTS mfg during WW1 had no heat treatment? the service life is shorter on the early model 1911's , slides crack or get deformed faster.

This is true. I run an extra power recoil spring in mine to try to keep it from battering itself too much. If this actually helps is up for debate, but it runs fine with the extra power recoil spring.

That's why you get more than one 1911. You can spread the load over several pistols and nothing gets too beat up.

For the bulk of my 1911 shooting I take my Rock Island Armory 1911 GI to the range. i'll shoot a few rounds through my C&R guns then the Rock Island takes over and shoots the rest of my .45 ammo I brought to the range. And if that breaks....eh...it was only a $400 1911, but it shoots great.

[Mr. Blue]

Catch up to High Power? That will be no small task. Good luck!

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by Mr. Blue

Catch up to High Power? That will be no small task. Good luck!

Not all heroes wear capes....some have large C&R collections. lol

I'm not likely to catch up to Highpower unless I win the lottery, but the quest is most of the fun.

[Verdha603]

Seeing as your going for the historical side of things, might I suggest a Star Model B as a future recommendation, aka the Hollywood 1911? Because Hollywood had problems cycling blanks through .45 caliber 1911's, the Star Model B proved to be a suitable stand-in for the 1911 well into the 1980's (iconically seen in The Wild Bunch for shooting sequences and in Pulp Fiction as Jules/Samuel L Jackson's handgun of choice) due to 9mm blanks cycling more reliably.

[highpower]

Stars are very well made guns. But that is another slippery slope because once you get a Super B, then you have to get a Super A, then a BM and on and on and on.......

A while back I picked up a high condition Super A made in 1951 solely because it was $150. Since then I picked up a decent BM and am on the hunt for a high condition Super B.

[Beetle Bailey]

Very nice! Congrats

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by Verdha603

Seeing as your going for the historical side of things, might I suggest a Star Model B as a future recommendation, aka the Hollywood 1911? Because Hollywood had problems cycling blanks through .45 caliber 1911's, the Star Model B proved to be a suitable stand-in for the 1911 well into the 1980's (iconically seen in The Wild Bunch for shooting sequences and in Pulp Fiction as Jules/Samuel L Jackson's handgun of choice) due to 9mm blanks cycling more reliably.

oh yes, Star pistols are on my list. Just further down.

I thought I would be content with just a WWI and WWII 1911 from Colt. I also picked up a Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless and a Mauser produced P.38.

But I'm hooked on the 1911 pursuit now. Looking for something from each of the manufacturers (excluding Singer). I want a Remington Rand, Ithaca, and Union Switch & Signal because.....why not? lol

[Mr. Blue]

Originally Posted by ChampCarStar

Not all heroes wear capes....some have large C&R collections. lol

I'm not likely to catch up to Highpower unless I win the lottery, but the quest is most of the fun.

Absolutely, I don’t have any C&R guns. I really want to get an older 1911, something unchanged. I think you’re off to a fantastic start, I hope one day I can have half of what you’ve gathered thus far.

[risingsun212]

I have a Sistema 45 ACP. Solid gun. Can’t tell the difference from a Colt when you shoot it.

[Mesa Defense]

What a nice collection!

[ChampCarStar]

My CMP 1911 came in. This is the one I've been wanting.

Union Switch and Signal frame and slide. Was rebuilt at some point at Springfield Armory, but that's ok by me. Glad to have a U.S.&S. in my collection now.

[McNally M.]

Holy moly, that is a awe-inspiring array of 1911's. Well done.

[smithrjd]

My old Argentine Sistema is my favorite, think I payed $150 from Century Arms for a select one a lifetime ago. Surprised what they are going for now.. Still have all of the original parts as well. Most came with black hard rubber type grips. Not sure about the early Colt made ones.

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by smithrjd

My old Argentine Sistema is my favorite, think I payed $150 from Century Arms for a select one a lifetime ago. Surprised what they are going for now.. Still have all of the original parts as well. Most came with black hard rubber type grips. Not sure about the early Colt made ones.

I'm looking around for a specific Argentine Sistema....one that has the Argentine Air Force markings. I'll find one of those some day.

[plumbum]

Just... wow! So much history. Jealous, but we all appreciate you sharing!

[rdfact]

Originally Posted by ChampCarStar

My CMP 1911 came in. This is the one I've been wanting.

Union Switch and Signal frame and slide. Was rebuilt at some point at Springfield Armory, but that's ok by me. Glad to have a U.S.&S. in my collection now.

Very nice. Was this from a CMP auction?

[ChampCarStar]

Originally Posted by rdfact

Very nice. Was this from a CMP auction?

Yeah, it was one of the auction pistols. I've been searching for a Union Switch 1911 and most of the ones I've been in on outside of CMP have gone for $4000 to $5000, just a little more than I could spend.

The CMP was the best route for me to go. Hardest part was getting all the paperwork done and sent back to CMP. They send the auction packet the Monday after the auction ends and need everything signed, notarized, and sent back to CMP by that Friday.