Identify This Old 1911

[johnthomas]

From the response I see, most of them are trying to run a new guy off of the forum. OP, Wjc gave you the best link and answer possible. Ignore the Smart A.. comments and keep asking those questions. Some people forgot what it is like to be new to guns, or at least this one.

[wobbleside]

I'm pretty new the whole handgun thing. I've seen it all my life and shot it a few times but that was over a decade ago and I've always been more of a rifle person. It's been living in a padded lock box since 2007 when it was given to me just prior to my 21st birthday and been out to be cleaned every two or three years.
It definitely hasn't been shot regularly since I moved to CA in 2008 since I either didn't have the time or money to feed it and go to range.
I've pretty much had a decade long break from guns and shooting between college, parting with my rifles before moving out here, a ruined strong hand shoulder. The last time I was shooting regularly was 2007 when I had to do basic qualifications on all the weapons used by the county police SWAT and EOD to be assigned as an EMT for them since that was what they wanted for private EMS (no city or county public service, just two competing private companies) for personal attached to them and I was already Hazmat Ops certed and it got me out of having to go to fire school which I didn't want to do. ^^;

Then I screwed around for several years working on my BSRN and dropped out of the program 2 semesters from finishing it to learn some linux because I was sick of the mess emergency medicine was becoming and there no nursing jobs in the Bay Area. Fast forward two years and I'm working for a small start up, have money.. and started revisiting old hobbies.
A couple of people on BARF sent me this way.

[Planetking]

Suggestive only of course;

Clean, lube, shoot, enjoy. Then go out and pick up some others. Then be like most of us here and try to figure out how/when to stop.

Welcome aboard!!

[Omil]

From the response I see, most of them are trying to run a new guy off of the forum. OP, Wjc gave you the best link and answer possible. Ignore the Smart A.. comments and keep asking those questions. Some people forgot what it is like to be new to guns, or at least this one.

^^^...
OP, congrats!

[taperxz]

That colt pistol, is an AR 15 with a hi cap magazine, flash suppressor and has the ever famous "shoulder thing that flips up"

[trigger945]

OP, PM redcliff. He might be able to give you more info than what's already on the slide.

Beetle also knows a lot about the history of guns. Maybe he can help as well.

All I know is that it is a fine looking Colt and one I don't see often.

Good luck and welcome back to this hobby!

[Chief-7700]

It is clearly incredibly dangerous! If you leave it alone it just compels people to start shooting people all on it's own. Thankfully it only has a 6 round mag...


Honestly, I couldn't find much information Colt M1911A1 Compacts and Colt's website couldn't identify it by serial, nor could they when I called their support line.

My father doesn't even know where he got it, other than it was acquired before I was born.
Apparently my firearms googlefu is pretty weak though.

http://www.proofhouse.com/ Plug in your serial number.
Better pictures would help also............

[lt05deluxe]

Are you serious? It's a Colt... Look at the slide... Then Google it.

[teg33]

It's a Colt and it is not "that old", fairly new to me.

[beetle]

lots of good information already posted in the thread.

Before the army switched over to 9mm, general troops were issued the 1911, while officers typically got Browning's old 1908 pocket hammerless design. In the 70s Rock Island Arsenal (not to be confused with Rock Island Armory, manufacturers of inexpensive 1911s) created a new smaller pistol for officers based on the 1911 design. This was called the "officer's model" -- the arsenal did not sell it to the general public.

A couple of commercial manufacturers started offering up smaller 1911 designs to the public including Colt. This was called the "officer" model to match what the military was using. It is made up of a smaller frame and a 3.5" barrel.

from there a bewildering series of different sized frames and barrels were released which I still have a hard time remembering -- commander, cco, etc.

I believe the compact is exactly the same as an officer's model -- smaller frame and 3.5" barrel. The compact name was used in later series production.

From the marks on your gun it's pretty obvious that it was made past 1991 From the looks of it I would guess a mid-late 90s gun. I think yours was discontinued in the late 90s.

I don't know if they ever improved it but one of the complaints about those early compacts was how the recoil spring plug is held. Instead of being held by the barrel bushing like on a normal 1991, there is a slot that is milled into the slide which mates with a pin on the plug. Because the short barrel and reduced weight recoil is already high on this model. This increased stress led to the pin being sheared off and launching the recoil spring right out of the front of the gun.

Blue book of gun values shows this one at about $500-$600 for an excellent gun. I find the blue book to be usually a bit on the low side because it doesn't take into account the CA market.

oh regarding the comments about "where's the old colt?" -- keep in mind that the 1911 has been around since... well, um... 1911! so a mid 90s gun doesn't qualify as "old" for many here

[trigger945]

^^^ I kinda "knew" beetle would be a great source after reading beetle's history threads. I was right.

Thanks for the information beetle. I am sure the OP finds this useful as the rest of the community.

[Pistolgrip Pump]

Ya'll got trolled