Can this be fixed???

[45DAVID1]

gotta be, look at the patent dates on the slide. the last one was 1913, it is an oldie, and a goodie, not an A-1

could have been accurized, for a shooting team, for military competition

Frame dates to 1918 based on s/n search.

[Madpyro]

Nice 1911 David.

[BBB114]

stippling

Can I shed a little light on the subject of value? Yes, it is an M1911 produced in 1918 as previously mentioned. It was shipped to the Army in a large quantity as one of the last shipments prior to production being stopped as a result of WWI ending. From a collector standpoint, it has almost no originality. Sights have been changed, it has been reblued, some markings are super thin or completely removed and various parts have been changed. Value is highly tied to originality......from a collector standpoint. So the stippling being removed and the front strap restored to original still would not change the rest of the pistol which has been customized. Those who were turned off by the stippling would still be turned off by the rest of the parts.

BUT....as mentioned before, it appears to have been customized during the early years for Bullseye type competition. The stippling absolutely goes with the rest of the modifications! It adds the "cool" factor to it. That old stippling was usually done with a hammer and a file.......by hand.

If it were mine, I would keep it just like it is. Spending money on removing the stippling will not add value to this piece, but it will remove part of the custom work that was done to it that guys like.......and would pay for.

Just for comparison, a total restoration by Doug Turnbull would cost around $6000 and it wouldnt be worth half that.

Enjoy it like it is.

[BDH]

To me, it's not a bullseye gun, it's a hardball gun. It's used in the hunt for excellence in competition points for the distinguished badge. A lot of .45s were set up in this configuration. I'd lay odds it is not set up to feed 185 to 200 gn wadcutters for bullseye competition. Probably just 230gn hardball rounds.

[45DAVID1]

Thanks for the insight. I guess I will enjoy it for what it is. I never really thought about how much time and or effeort went into the stippling process. Now it's time to see how well I can shoot the damn thing!

[45DAVID1]

To me, it's not a bullseye gun, it's a hardball gun. It's used in the hunt for excellence in competition points for the distinguished badge. A lot of .45s were set up in this configuration. I'd lay odds it is not set up to feed 185 to 200 gn wadcutters for bullseye competition. Probably just 230gn hardball rounds.

Please explain the difference between bullseye and hardball plz.

[dwtt]

230 gr FMJ hardball ammo feeds well in the 1911, but the hole cut by the bullet in the paper target is actually smaller than .45" in diameter. A wadcutter bullet with it's sharp shoulder around the circumference of the bullet will cut a larger hole than a FMJ bullet, and with a sharper edge. This is good in competition where the edge of the hole just touching the bullseye can mean an extra point, whereas a FMJ bullet hitting the same point of impact would produce a hole that doesn't get you that extra point. 1911's don't always feed wadcutter ammo reliably so it takes the work of a gunsmith to make it run well with 185 gr wadcutters.

[incredablehefey]

That makes me want to cry, it doesn't look fixable to me

[jakuda]

230 gr FMJ hardball ammo feeds well in the 1911, but the hole cut by the bullet in the paper target is actually smaller than .45" in diameter. A wadcutter bullet with it's sharp shoulder around the circumference of the bullet will cut a larger hole than a FMJ bullet, and with a sharper edge. This is good in competition where the edge of the hole just touching the bullseye can mean an extra point, whereas a FMJ bullet hitting the same point of impact would produce a hole that doesn't get you that extra point. 1911's don't always feed wadcutter ammo reliably so it takes the work of a gunsmith to make it run well with 185 gr wadcutters.

I'm sure somewhere in the rules, a scoring overlay is allowed to be centered over the bullet hole, so a FMJ round doesn't lose any points.

[jakuda]

To me, it's not a bullseye gun, it's a hardball gun. It's used in the hunt for excellence in competition points for the distinguished badge. A lot of .45s were set up in this configuration. I'd lay odds it is not set up to feed 185 to 200 gn wadcutters for bullseye competition. Probably just 230gn hardball rounds.

I didn't want to get into the nitty gritty that's why I said bullseye, but yes you're probably right.
Years and years ago however, the difference between a wadcutter pistol and a "hardball" pistol were minimal-to-none from the outside appearance. Modern wadcutters almost always feature a slide or frame mounted red-dot scope. These days, outside of the military, the only people who shoot in hardball/eic/distinguished matches are the civilian bullseye shooters.

[45DAVID1]

This is going to be interesting trying out this new "skill" since I do not have the steadiest of hands.

[jakuda]

Please explain the difference between bullseye and hardball plz.

Hardball/eic/distinguished pistol matches are a specific subset of bullseye shooting with specific equipment and rounds rules. Often times, big bullseye matches will also hold the distinguished pistol matches at some point in the schedule.

Originated in the military, and now also part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program. You may hear Marines talk about their gold/silver badges they win during their huge distinguished rifle matches.

[jakuda]

This is going to be interesting trying out this new "skill" since I do not have the steadiest of hands.

https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=523853

Welcome to the game.

Everyone's hand wobbles, you just have to allow it to wobble while pulling the trigger straight back. You'll always land in the black.